2009/12/31

Happy New Year!


MO:

3 years with P today!
When I came back from a lovely, supadupa fika with JOJO, this bouquet of incredible roses was waiting for me on the kitchen table...

Now we are chillin´ at home, with relaxed plans for tonight (dinner at sis´). I´m actually kind of wasted after a tough night with Robin. I tell you what, this morning I would have sold him for 1 SEK - I was so, so tired... After having wrestled with him from midnight to 3am, and then again from 4.15-6.30am, I was asking myself WHO on earth had thought it was a great idea to have kids????? Had I really agreed to this? And was it still possible to have an exchange, like when you are not satisfied with the size/colour/brand of your Christmas present?
Lucky he´s cute. Lucky I love him. Because between not sleeping and having puke all over my clothes - it´s needed.

I wish you a tremendous New Year´s Eve - see you all in 2010,
Rested, Healthy and Strong! :)


Love MO

.

2009/12/30

Training Goals for 2010. Part 3.



MO:
Kettlebell training.
Swing.
Clean & Press.
Snatch.
Turkish Get-up.
What an ass kickin´workout it is.
I´ll be cracking nuts with my butt come May (pardon my French). At least that should be one of the goals, because I´ll be joining Pavel Tsatsouline´s RKC course that month... Not to mention snatching a 12kg kettlebell 100 times in 5 minutes, which is the Certification requirement.

On a completely different note, I´m pondering 2 questions that you might be able to help me with:

* Why do grownups talk in a different voice (read: baby voice) to babies?
I told myself that I would NEVER do that, and yet, when I hear myself talking to Robin, my voice goes up one or two notches, I sometimes don´t finish sentences but go "ohhhhhahhhhgaaaa" instead, making funny faces, etc etc. I understand it must be something biological, but hey, don´t you think it would be easier for the poor infant to learn how to talk properly if the adults surrounding them stopped sounding like they have a speech impediment?
(Not to mention grownups who use their baby voice talking to other grownups...that can REALLY get me going....)

*Why do we Swedes love to queue in ONE queue when there are several cashiers open???
WHERE does this come from? (And could it please go back there?)
Does it have something to do with our oh, we are all so bloody equal, that therefore it is of the highest priority that we all queue in a "fair" way - "Who´s next in line?", even if this mean that 1 queue longer than the river Gangnes takes up half of the H&M shop in the middle of the Christmas Sale...

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2009/12/28

HOW MUCH...


... wood can a woodpecker check if a woodpecker could cheek would?

No, just kidding! That wasn't it!

HOW MUCH SIMPSONS' can a sista watch.....?!

Enough is enough, I am going back to Gothenburg in the morning!

Jo


Sing it loud and proud


MO:
I haven´t liked the latest hits she´s had.
And his latest album was a bit of a disappointment.
But this, this is great stuff. Nice.

2009/12/27

Training Goals for 2010. Part 1

MO:

...but it´s so damn hard!!!

The rhythm, the timing, the full range of motion, the explosiveness...
Thank you Per.D for giving me the technique lesson I needed to get started again.
I am SUCH a beginner and it frustrates me to death. It frustrates me and inspires me to get better...


.

Unless... We get a little



CRAZY

Last couple of days...

Let me tell you I AM PROUD :)

Feels like I've done it for REAL this Christmas! You know - they way you're frieds tell you that they do it, and you can read in EXPRESSEN that that's how everybody DOES IT!

Looks something like this:

  • Christmas Eve - Well, still in an Andersson kindaof way, everybody runing around doing their own thing until Kalle Anka comes along on the telly... and THEN we eat the FIRST Christmas Food ever at around 7pm. Followed by a maraton of christmas gifts being unwrapped until 1am... then Mom takes out the risalamalta and we sit in the sofa eating it til around 3am
  • Day after: I DID IT! I finally made it out on this day where it seems like EVERYONE in EVERY small town/big city decides that it is a PARTY night - WHY??! Anyhow - one of my OLDEST friends finally got me out - and WHOPA: Tages in LA was a sight :) I never stand in line, waiting to get into a place, or spend as much money as when I go out in LA (Landskrona). But hey - I did get to see a lot of old familiar faces and it was FUN dancing the night away to football/Hockey/Skånska songs (I think you can call them songs...)
  • Day after the day after: I ALWAYS wake up EARLY - Why? Went to bed 5:30am and woke up super duper at 8:30am - WHY?! Bro wanted to look at some MONSTER Speakers in the city of LUND so I joind him in the MADNESS of the HOLIDAY SALE.... Ended up with a new office set of APPLE Computers for 40 000 sek - Congratulations JIRA :)
  • Day after the day after the day after: Starting to get the hang of sleeping til noon -  YUM! Soon f to MALMÖ to check out my French Cusins NEW Bakery/Boulangeri :) And then a LOVELY Fika with gorgeous Anna Key before HELL will brake lose as we take over SATS ans team teach a BODYPUMP!!! - What do you say - my second BODYPUMP this year (my first one was Monday before Christmas :)

R you enjoying your HOLIDAY ? Or are you starting to long back to "reality"? 



- If so GET A GRIP of yourself and learn to RELAXE!!!!

Love Jo



But we're never gonna survive, unless... 
We get a little crazy 
- SEAL ;)




2009/12/26

Right here Right now




MO:

I let the photograph speak for itself.
+1 and slush puppie in Gothenburg. Guess where I´d rather be right now?


.

2009/12/25

Paper Anniversary

Exactly 1 year ago...

MO:

Having a lovely Christmas break. After hanging out with the family for the last 2 days, P, Robin and I returned to the city - went for a run in the hail (yes, the whole family and yes, we ARE mad...but, boy, did it feel GOOD???) and now, the evening is for P and I.
It´s exactly 1 year ago since we got married!
Unbelievable how time flies.
1 year ago since 2 people had to fight me into my wedding dress (3 months+ pregnant). 1 year ago since I said yes to the love of my life.


Celebrating 1 year! Dress Whyred, belt Burberry, shoes Cacharel


.

Did YOU have a...



MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS :?

My 3rd day in sweet sweet Annelöv and I am finally starting to melt into it! At least I know now that I need a couple of days to wind down and get the hang of walking around in my PJ's hihi

Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world

- Well it doens't have to be lonely thoug! I LOVE being by myself but I rarely feel lonely - Just tapping into the universe and FEEL IT!


Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
- There's nothing wrong with some bling bling every now and then ... Just realized that I am doing not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but 5!!!!! travels to the SUN - and YOU can join me in 2010 WHOPPA!

Don't stop believing
Hold on to that feeling

GO Show someone YOUR LOVE!!!

Pass it Forward

JO



2009/12/23

Merry Christmas




MO:

Don´t stress it. Before you know it, Christmas will be over, so stop...breathe...and enjoy it while it lasts.
Love, Family, laughing, resting, walking, reading and enjoying heaps of food will be on my agenda for the next 48h...
I wish you a wonderful Christmas!


Love
Mo

.

2009/12/22

Almost there

MO:
Almost there...and this year it really looks as if the Christmas WILL be white!
P´s family is celebrating their X-mas in Bali. Ohhhhhh, now that´s a different kind of white... (I can almost feel the sand between my toes..) but there was no way we could have put Robin through a 17h+ journey before he´d even hit his 6 months mark.

Tomorrow morning I´m teaching my last class before my (very) short break of 4 days - yoga at 9am, one of my favourite classes of the week. A great way to enter the festivities.
The Savasana song for tomorrow is the one above. Enjoy.


.

Two years ago

I spent Christmas in INDIA!


It was my first Christmas away from family - and at the time I didn't think much about it. India was an adventure. I flew to Deli, traveld up the Himalayas and then down again to Mumbai and Pune, a long bus ride down to Goa and meet up beautiful, funny friends in the south of Kerala.
We spent Christmas Eve on a house boat cruising the backwaters of GOD's Country. Passed by Amma's place where my friends had enough and fled the Mambojambo! I meet them again a couple of days later in Varkala where we spent New Years Eve at a Ayurvedic Resort with international yogis from around the globe. Dancing with elephants, talking parrots and the first song played in the year of 2008 on the beach of Varkala was DANCING QUEEN by ABBA! Guess if the 3 Swedes jumped around...




I will never forget INDIA and the effect she had and in a way still has on me!

And I will never forget the CARVING for Christmas that I had during 2008!!! As I returned to Sweden in the middle of January I forced my mother to make Christmas dinner (have in mind that she already dislikes it, and here I am asking her to cook it once again in JANUARY!!! Mom's gotta LOVE their children :)



All 2008 I longed for Christmas. I felt that I missed out, that I jumped a part of the year and hence I couldn't feel complete.

I thought I was a SUPAWOMAN (my idea of her at the time was a bit ... inspired by oh well, let me get to that in another post...) who was FREE of traditions, not fostered by culture or "Svensson - this is how we do it" attitude. (Plz understand me right here!)

Growing up I wanted to do EVERYTHING differently, not following traditions, alone is strong, a warrior on her path with a very distinct goal.

But what I am slowly realizing is the fact that I LOVE tradition, I LOVE the "Svensson" way of doing things. I want to have FREDAGSMYS, the traditional dishes on the Christmas dining table, and if anyone would ever consider NOT watching KALLE ANKA they would have to pass by ME first...

The conclusion of all this jibberish is that I am also realiing that being FREE and loving Tradition aren't opposing forces. As long as you are standing strong in your feeling - trusting and actually FEELING - what is important to ME?! What do I value in life? That is a true WARRIOR to me!

Have a Bombastic Fantastic Happy Holiday

LOVE Jo

2009/12/21

Smile your way into Christmas



MO:

LOVE to everyone who sent Birthday greetings through Facebook/SMS/email yesterday. I´m touched that so many wanted to say Happy Birthday...(and stressed out about not having enough time to send personal thank you notes back to each and every single one of you...)

Instead I give you this,
a clip from Eddie´s show last night.

I laughed so much my jaws hurt and my mascara eventually had a holiday on my chin.
Awesome.



.

2009/12/20

Magical MO

HAPPY HAPPY B-DAY YOU ROCKING FIERCE THING ;)



LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK

HAVE A BLAST WITH IZZARD 2NIGHT - You two go together like bread and butter (talking about the fascination and obsession with wearing HIGH HIGH Heels of course ;)


LÖKAR

Jo

2009/12/19

Everything Counts In Large Amounts

MO:

Christmas shopping amongst all the other thousands of people who also realized that it´s Christmas Eve in 4 days...

Best in the City today? The live "box" with Ametist, Christer & Jason doing Musikhjälpen right outside Storan. My song? "Everything Counts" with Depeche Mode. A suitable theme, I thought, in these days of charity donations and climate conferences...

Christer hiding under the Christmas Star inside "the box"

7 days for the fight against malaria. A child dies every 30 seconds. It costs 5 SEK to save a life.
SMS "50 artist song" to 72999 to donate 50 SEK



.

2009/12/18

One of those...

... nights where I miss you the most!

And I would do anything to have one more moment with you!!!

Tell you what I'm up to - ask you if you'd agree - you'd give me advice - and smile your tricky loving smile!

Take care of your loved ones!!


FREEDOM


LOVE U

J

It´s cold outside, but it´s warm in here

MO:
Hoping for a White Christmas, actually feeling a little bit of Christmas spirit in the cold air.

YES to sharing LOVE with loved ones, friends and family.
YES to celebrating the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010.
YES to winding down towards the holidays and entering them with a relaxed approach and a peace of mind.
YES to kissing under the mistletoe (and everywhere else, if you are so inclined).
YES to new adventures and unknown surprises. 2010 - bring it on.




.

Pass it forward

The week is coming to it's end.

I have 4 wicked full on working days left and then I'm of to sweet sweet Skåne!

I've been longing for the Christmas Holiday for some time now - mostly I miss my family and I want to hang around in my PJ's, play RockBand with my brother, wrestle with Åke ans listen to Mom's voice as she calls - BREAKFAST :)

Still I have to admit that I wouldn't fast forward to Tuesday, not even for a million ;)

Cause there is nothing in the world like LOVE!

No matter what form it comes in - it might be the feeling of waking up next to a person that you know in your heart is right cause you're filled with energy and light even though it is pitch black outside.
Or the love from a friend, whom you've only meet for a couple of hours - still she can light up your day from miles away and make you smile, giggle and buzz up in excitement just thinking of meeting her again sometime, hopefully soon!
It might be the notion of your students, showing up with sparkles in their eyes cause they know that you will push them, guide them, navigate them into new waters, places they haven't been before - but they are ready to go there WITH YOU!

No matter the form - it creates ripples and trickles down to the stranger you bump into on the street, or in the next e-mail you send... It all becomes a bit brighter, a bit lighter, a bit more JUICY ;)

Let it Flow Friends

I LOVE YOU

Jo

2009/12/17

Tried and tested: Incoco dry nail polish

MO:

I haven´t had the time to paint my fingernails for about 5 1/2 months, so I was delighted to get to try Incoco (thank you Malin & Daniel!). I´d read about this dry nail polish in various magazines-how it is base, polish and top coat in one "sticker" that you press on to your nail and then: Voilà!
I´d gotten 2 different flavours to try, the French manicure and a fantastically yummy Christmas Red colour. I started with the French manicure... I probably should have checked out the website first (typical MO-mentality: "HOW difficult could it possibly be???"), because after 2 nails I had to throw in the towel (since I had white and nude stickers all over the place and started to have smoke coming out of my nostrils....). But hey, it´s winter! A nice French goes best with a tan and a beautiful summer dress anyway.

"Skam den som ger sig..."
I gave the Christmas Red a chance...and the result was... beautiful!
The photograph unfortunately doesn´t give the colour justice, but nobody would guess that this wasn´t painted on. Also, it was nice to be able to skip the drying process (although the stickers actually smell like proper nail polish!). Highly recommended for the toddler mother! Available in Kicks stores around the country.


2009/12/16

Decision MADE..here is the new MO!

MO:

Dear MOJO-readers...Remember the question I had on Monday? The decision I wanted to make? Well. Here´s The Question: What will I do to my HAIR? (It just keeps on falling out in droves after the pregnancy...)
Here´s The Answer: Cut it short!
It might seem very straight forward, but all of you women who have gone from LOOONG to SHOOORT in one go, know what I mean when I say that I went "yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no..." about a zillion times before I made my mind up. What finally tipped the scales was yesterday morning when I went: "Robin? What´s that you´ve got in your mouth?" and then had to puuuuuuuuuuuull a looooong strand of black hair from his (probably) stomach/throat....

My heart reached almost MAXIMUM level as I walked to my hairdresses at 3pm this afternoon....

Here is the result (and bear with me, the "after" pictures are taken tonight, straight tafter 2 classes, a quick shower, no styling products and with make up half way on and half way off my face...)




2h before - at 1pm today...

30min ago.

I´ll try and give you a better headshot tomorrow, but here´s for now... :)


.

2009/12/15

Go ahead have a LAUGH at my expense...

MO:

I was late.
I grabbed my keys, my iPhone, my party Swarovski handbag, the plastic bag with the used diapers plus the plastic bag with the empty glassbottles and ran out the door.
As I left my house, I threw away the rubbish and called E to say that I would be in the meeting place in a couple of minutes. When I hung up, I wanted to pick up my lipgloss...and realized that my handbag was missing! What? I had only been in the flat and out the door and...

MY GOD, I MUST HAVE THROWN AWAY MY SWAROVSKI HANDBAG IN THE RUBBISH!

I start to run back home. I get E on the phone again: "Hi, it´s me again, I have "mummy-brain" and I think I have thrown away my handbag with the rubbish!...yeah, I´m mad...I´ll be...E? I have to call you back!.....(still on the line)HELLOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! WAAAAIT!!!!!....WAIT! WAIT! Did THOSE rubbish bins just come out from that house???? Yes???!!! And did you just empty them into...that? You DID????..."
As I turned the corner to get to my house I see the rubbish van outside my door, with 2 big rubbish bins right by it.... I can clearly picture my handbag amongst used diapers, food leftovers and God knows what... I think I´m quite hysterical by now.
The Renova guy looks at me, trying calmly to get my attention.
"....newspapers..." "What?" I almost yell. "These bins contained newspapers" He doesn´t get to finish the sentence, because I´m already halfway into the yard, diving head first into the infamous rubbish bin where my trash went 3 minutes earlier. I dig and dig around. The Renova guy turns up asking if I would like some help. By now I´m already into the next bin, (where our empty glass bottles went), hanging halfway inside it, halfway outside it, since there is only stuff in the very bottom of the this bin.
Wearing high, high spiky black heels and a Diane von Furstenberg dress.
A true Kodak-moment if any.


It´s not there. I don´t know whether to laugh or cry. I grab my iPhone and call P on speed dial. He answers after the second ring. "Is my handbag there??????" "Which one?" "The little one with the crystals?" "Yes".
Draw the curtains.


.

2009/12/14

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

MO:

I have this MAJOR decision to make before Wednesday 15.00.
I wish I could ask you your opinion, but this is definitely one that I have to go ALONE, because if it turns out completely screwed up...then I´ll only have myself to blame...


.

Monday Morning

Are you READY?!

What do you want to be able to say about your life and yourself on 14/12 2010 that you cannot say now?



“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.” (Henry David Thoreau)

Be PRESENT today!

And hey.. guess what - Presence takes Practice ;)

Jo

2009/12/13

Fierce Women!!

Haven't left the planet, promise!
Just been in a not so efficeint + a lot to do mode/period...
After Berlin I felt DONE - you've ever had that feeling of - I'M DONE! With a smile on your face and then people come and ask you/expect you to WORK...?! And you are - WHAT? But I'm DONE for the year, promise! :)

Well - anyhow that's how I've felt the last two weeks. I am ready to play, be, enjoy, fol around, be silly, be childish, be taken care of :)

Instead of being in London this weekend - the universe told me to stay put in Gbg and the upside of that was that I get to ply with MO for 2 days YEAH!!
At least I still feel YEAH - Ask me this evening - or ask my body....

Mo is certainly a FIERCE HOT TAMALE WOMAN - I got to meet her parents for the first time ever this week in her childhood home :) LOVELY!!!

And I an see MO - in full on LUCIA outfits on the morning of the 13th ... Her strong will present then as well I guess, can't really figure out if she was a Lucia, a tomte, or pepparkaskgubbe...?!



Plz Mo Tell us all about it!

Of to play with the big BELLS now - NO - NOT Christmas bells..... the OTHER ones ;)

LOVE JO

2009/12/12

Christmas in the City Gothenburg

MO:
After a fun day with kettlebell work, the whole family hung out in a wintry Gothenburg (as it now should be called again, thankfully).
P and I are....how shall I put it?...different, for example:

* we both find it hard to understand "Idol-mania" and how on earth 3 and then 2 unknown teenagers can fill Scandinavium and Globen respectively,
* we really don´t like Melodifestivalen (or schlager) and
* we don´t prioritize "cultural" happenings in our own city.

Therefore it took a visit from P´s sister to get us to watch the lightshow at Götaplatsen.
The technology is amazing and it is nice with lots of lights in our very dark, very cold city at this time of year, but each time I see the BLUE LINES in every tree along the Avenue, I think: "I´m charging too little for my work. If a light consultant gets paid thousands to put up electric BLUE lightning EACH year along the most famous street in G-burg, I should be trippling my fee..." or maybe I should just become a light designer? :)

I wonder if the blue colour started off as a joke that later got out of hand...

A happy, well lit, naked man. I´m sure he would have prefered his manhood just a tiny bit larger though... I mean, he is a God after all, right?

The show. Projected onto the Art Museum. Thomas von Brömssen & Jennifer Brown, anyone?
Yes, we ARE a city in desperate need of glamour...



.

2009/12/11

A night of yin and yang

MO:
Normally, because I work most weekends, it´s hard for me to be social on Friday and Saturday nights. I´ve lost count how many birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, surprise parties, etc I´ve had to say no to... so when I had the chance to go to a "girlie" afterwork at F´s, I was delighted.
8 fab women were there and we got served the most delicious meal! The conversations were flowing (discussing everything from true love, MAD people, nailpolish, threading and work) and it was a long time ago since I laughed so much and so hard! Thanks girls for a truly fun time, and extra thank you F for the invitation, being the perfect hostess and for the yummy, yummy food!

I had to leave early since one of my best friends were in town (he now lives in Sthlm) and today was his 35th birthday, so from one party to another, I spent the rest of the evening around our dinner table at home with 3 gorgeous guys!

Must be quite the perfect night, eh?


Oh, the delicious food (AND company!) served at F´s! Beetroot with goat´s cheese and fresh chicken sallad!

Followed by the muscle power of these guys! Faces have been removed to protect the innocent...

By the way, can you believe that this is thread number 1.000 on this blog???
Time flies.

.

2009/12/10

Sleepy head

MO:
Man, I´m tired.
It´s been a LONG but productive day.
2 fantastically fab meetings and some admin work later, I´m crashing.
Slightly more laid back tomorrow followed by the last working weekend for 2009.
Nice to see that so many of you got seriously curious about the BIG NEWS of 2010 and signed up for the newsletter. :)
The breaking news will be all over MOJO very, very soon, I promise!



.

2009/12/09

Life as a working mother

MO:

Oookey.
Tomorrow I´ll have to do the 40k drive (actually 80k there and back x 2) to grandma´s and grandpa´s to hand Robin over before my morning meeting at 10am. An important meeting that might lead to very exciting stuff next autumn!

Since Robin is not to happy to be left with anyone else than his mum and dad at the moment, I´ll be bringing my next meeting with me back to grannies... Lucky this meeting is with JO! I can´t tell all the details yet, but let´s just say:
MOJO will be rockin´ 2010! O.M.G.
If you subscribe to the InCycle Newsletter, you will have had a taster of what´s to come. If not, you either have to wait or you can sign up now.

.

2009/12/08

Get off your LAZY, butt ugly ass!

MO:

Sweden is amazing. Sweden is fantastic.
There are a few things that Sweden lack though...

1. Sun all year around.
2. Snow in the south during the winter months.
AND
3. Service.

Finishing a mediocre lunch (the food-not the company, which was excellent) at Mediterranean in Vallgatan, we stand up to pay. (Already here an international reader probably reacts "What? The CUSTOMER has to GO somewhere to pay?")
The restaurant has a square bar in the middle of it. We go to the side closest to us, where a cash machine is clearly visible behind the desk. Us: "Could we pay, please"
Young girl behind the bar, sporting a very sour, unpleasant look on her face: "No." Long Pause. "Go around to the other side". The passage is too narrow to be able to pass with a pram. I open my mouth to protest, when my lunch company says: "It´s ok, I´ll go". I SO wanted to say something to the lazy, little pierced creature behind the bar, but bit my tongue.

15min later I´m at Hemköp in Linnégatan. I HATE Hemköp. Bad products, ugly displays, over-priced AND terrible service, but in my hood Hemköp has true monopoly (and I´m not talking about the boardgame here...). The queue is ginormous. Robin is hot, tired, fed up and starts crying. Loudly.

A second till finally opens. I manage to make my way over, through the narrow lanes (my pram just about fits). Now there are 2 long queues.
It´s my turn. "I´d like some razors as well, please" The girl at the check out stares blankly at me. "They´re at the other till" I wait. By now, Robin is screaming at the top of his voice. Ms. Braindead behind at the cashier doesn´t move or say anything. I try: "Soooo...?" "So, you walk over there and get them" she finally says.
Which means I have to make my way in the opposite direction of the people flow with a pram, a screaming baby and make my excuses as I try to not bump into people, jump the second queue wait for zombie no 2 in the first till to look my way and ask for a packet of razors, squeeze past a group of teenage girls who think that my pram has the magical powers to walk straight through people and things, push my way back to my checkout, where a bunch of people are staring at me angrily, wondering why the woman with the screaming baby is holding up the queue....

I throw the razors and my money at the MORON cashier woman. Let´s just say I didn´t say thank you. A thank you should be deserved. I thought about causing a scene, but with Robin boiling hot and red in the face by now, I just wanted to get out the door. I will use my consumer power instead and boycott Hemköp + lousy restaurants with bad service whenever I have a fighting chance to do so.


.

2009/12/07

Never Ever Give Up



MO:

If you think it´s hard teaching your body something new...If you think it´s physical and challenging...
If you think the task is daunting and you have thoughts like: "I´m never gonna make it" and other un-constructive doubts...just remember:
You learned how to sit,
you learned how to crawl,
how to stand,
how to walk,
how to run..
man, you even learned how to EAT...all within those first crucial months of your life.

Right now, Robin is my biggest inspiration in all things physically challenging.
His joy(and sometimes anger), determination and sheer grit that goes into getting every limb in the right place at the right time and NEVER giving UP, will stay with me during the next weeks´ runs, lifting, pushing, stretching and biking.
Nothing is impossible.


.

2009/12/05

Get off your seat

MO:
Having a couch potato for a child - or this?
(I´m not sure my nerves could handle it....)



.

2009/12/04

End of the week



Mo:

Yoga this morning at 6.45am...seriously crazy, I mean: 6.45!
From lunch onwards I joined Svensk Fitness at their Wellness Seminar at Svenska Mässan...a very professional and well organized event.
I met a bunch of costumers, some that I have worked with recently and some that I haven't seen in a while. Now dinner at home after an attack of Robin-cuddling! :)

Have a great Friday evening, folks!


.

2009/12/03

Apartment Fitness Opening Night

MO:

Fabulous Daniel Emgard & Jennie Vaara have opened Gothenburg´s most exclusive PT-studio: Apartment Fitness & Pilates in Linnégatan. Tonight was their official opening night. What a beautiful place! Finally a PT-studio with serious class/design/function in the center of the city, where you can train with wonderful trainers! If you are looking for THE place to be at in Gbg City - look no further.

We got served gorgeous food from Babar (healthy and yummy!) and mingled with a bunch of familiar and famous faces. Good luck Daniel & Jennie-take the city by storm!



Parts of the yummy buffét...

A proud Daniel Emgard in one of the training rooms.



.

Challenge yourself


MO:
Are you looking for a challenge? Try running with a baby weighing +9kg in a pram that scores a weight around 10kg...
My face was ready to explode after about 30min. I also thought it would be colder than it was (I always do...) and therefore wore NIKE´s winter running wardrobe. Phew. I was sweating buckets after 500m. Great start of the day, though!

2 work meetings. First with Project X. Moving painfully slow, but it takes time to get the right team together, especially finding the programmers. New deadline: end of January, beginning of February 2010.
Second meeting was a lovely work fika with Magnus & Linda. Magnus put both us girls to shame by bringing us Christmas presents! Lucky for us there´s still a few weeks to go to the big day...



.

Be WATER my Friend ;)



Bruce Lee rocks my world :)

Keep on FLOWING!!!

Love Jo

Full Moon - Bogus or not?

The earliest known mythologies used the moon as a metaphor - in fact this is most likely where the notion of rising from the dead after three days (common to the stories of several mythic heroes) comes from, as the moon disappears completely for three days before reappearing in the night sky. In ancient times the moon was also associated with our favorite symbol of energetic awakening - the snake, because of it's ability (like the moon) to shed it's skin and be born anew. Our favorite celestial body is in her full glory right now, and while the claims of her power to make people do wild and crazy things might be somewhat unfounded - we know for sure that like most creatures on the planet, we have cycles in our own bodies that are measured by her waxing and waning...

I know for sure that she effects me... the funny thing though is that I never understand it until afterwards...

I get weird feelings, can't sleep, can't focus, feel the urge of travelling or escaping into an adventure and feel uneasy over it because I don't know WHY I feel this way - until a couple of days later when I realize, that the full moon was just around the corner!

My intellectual side doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that a round thing thousands of miles away has any effect on me... whilst clearly my entire body and soul feels it!

Funny thing this life - being Human and everything!

Doe's she effect you?

JO

2009/12/02

Winter Wonderland

MO:
Winter has finally reached the south. -2 when I drove to my class this morning. And what a spectacular morning it was. Clear skies with a gorgeous light pink colour in the horizon...
Had a fab, fully-packed yoga class at 9, followed by a meeting at 10.15 with my NEW accounting firm. Third time lucky? Fingers crossed. I really hope and think so.

I had lunch with the boys and then waved them off as they headed for a forest walk.
Wednesday being my working day, I spent the rest of the afternoon writing invoices, paying bills and answering e-mails. I also found the time to mix a new interval class. I was so not happy with my classes last Wednesday, I think I lost my Wednesday-rhythm not teaching my morning class... It´s rare that I´m not entirely happy with a class these days, so I wanted it to be extra right this week.
Thankfully it worked out well with a nice flow from start to finish. Back on track...thanks to everyone who joined!

I´m hoping for another sunny day tomorrow. It was far too long since I went for a "buggy-run". :)


What a beautiful morning!...

Little guy is ready to hang with big guy in the forest...



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2009/11/30

5 months

MO:




He is such a happy little camper. He wakes up with a smile, even in the middle of the night at feeding time. He also has a fierce will, though, (I´m not sure, but he might have gotten that from his mother...who knows?...) and he will certainly tell you if he is not happy. I love that! No guessing game here.

December 1 is also my little sister´s Birthday. Whoha! It gets more and more difficult each year, trying to figure out what to get her...I mean, I´m easy in comparison! (Christian Louboutins, anyone?)
My whole family have their birthdays during Sep-Dec (even I). Add to that a 1-year Wedding Anniversary on Dec 25 (incredible)...
Lucky we have decided to stick to the "Strictly ONLY 1 X-mas present"-rule again this Christmas... :)



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Falling in Love with Life

Back in Gothenburg after Body/Mind-blowing days in my new BFF Berlin :)

Between Berlin and Gothenburg I stopped by in Stockholm and Halmstad.

Thank you Lina and Maria for wicked 24h (even though we only saw Maria for 12 of those 24 hours hihih ;)

Thank you Halmstad and FORM for beautiful flow with the new BODYBALANCE 47, it certainly has a HALO glow to it and I am looking forward to sharing it in Gothenburg this coming weekend together with beautiful Anna Paringer at Fitness Festivalen!


Last day of November 2009 today - yesterday was 1sta ADVENT!
I LOVE Christmas - think it is a late rebel thing against my mother who never puts out the christmas stuff until the 22nd of December. That + the fact that we did get ADVENTSKALENDRAR with the best and most heartfelt gifts ever, I think my mom kept sending it to me as I moved to Gothenburg :)

Christmas for me is COMMUNITY - spending time with family and loved ones, cuddling inside with candles as darkness surrounds us more and more.

At least I got a start feeling for it in BERLIN:)

Another thing that make my heart JUMP with JOY was one day after yoga class - sitting at my BAGEL shop in the window, a girl passed by, I smiled at her (after the morning yoga I was always in a supadupa mod, loving life extra large :), she entered and then left again 5min later. As she left the barrista came to me with a coffee and a note....

I had never seen the girl before! So I asked the lady to translate and she said something like this:
Today is my birthday and I want you to have a beautiful day :)

Isn't LIFE SWELL :) You just gotta fall in love with it!

Over and over again!!

Happy Namnsdag Bejb

ANDREAS

The name derives from the Greek noun ἀνήρ – with genitive ἀνδρός –, which means "man" (i.e. male human being).
Well of course - ALL words has an origin in Greek, right!
So there you go ;)


LOVE Jo





2009/11/29

Sunday Sunshine



MO:

The sun´s out, the boy and man in my life are both asleep and I´m soon off to work. I kicked myself out of bed early this morning to find the time to take a hot shower, read the Sunday paper and eat an egg & (happy!)bacon breakfast.
This will be my second day at Life Åby, where we wrap up the kettlebell certification today. Nice.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

What a GANG! Fredrik, Jessica, Elin, Jenni, Lena and Åsa.
These people will rock Life from January onwards...Not to be missed!
Xtra special thanks to Fredrik H from Kettlebellcenter.com



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2009/11/28

X-mas Party

MO:

A good reason to dress up! X-mas party with Gymnasium last night. I joined the lovely dinner and then had to make my way home, since I´m working all day today and all day tomorrow.
Oh. And it felt amazingly good wear heels again...




Posing with Åse at Gothia Towers...And I finally got to use my diamond clutch, lovely! :)



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2009/11/26

ASK MY HEART


This song has been in the background of my BERLIN stay... and I didn't figure it out until tonight - it's from this BEAUTIFUL movie :)

Last night in Berlin - and the streets outside or going CRAZY - Massive demonstration and hundreds and hundreds of POLICE Men... The air is BUZZYNG to say the least

Of to Stockholm after my 5-9am yoga - the last session with Ana - GOD will I miss it - YES!!!

It is LIFE CHANGING!
So hard work - and at times I just wanna say - F..k it all and leave... but I have stayed and there is a reason why!

Just ASK MY HEART ;)

LOVE JO

Fed Up

MO:

Anyone who is sitting on a remedy for dry coughing (I´m entering week 8 soon...), please, please could you share this with me?
I am SO, SO tired of coughing (less certain hours and madly others).
I skipped training today and again tomorrow, to see if I can get it to ease before this weekend, since I´m working both Saturday & Sunday...



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2009/11/25

I would do ANYTHING for love...


...but I won't do THAT!!!
Do what?

I'll tell you in a minute - first lets take it from this morning!

Another Miraculously Extraordinary day in this life of HUMAN BEINGS :)

Great start where the 3 hours of EARLY morning yoga starts to feel like to little.... huh?! Yeah I know - I was kinda getting used to the 4hour (and I mean 4hours of asana practice) that we did Fri-Sun!

After class I run across the street after the morning session to my FAV Bagel Café and as I enter, before I even open my mouth, the owner says: - One Resenthaler Bagel Fulkorn and a Cappuccino?! Me: - Perfect!!!

As if I've been living here 10 years already :)


This afternoon I promised myself to go and explore new parts of Berlin so I took the tube to West Berlin - KaDeWe to be exact :)

Hugh MALL - Harrolds Style, t
he first 5 floors took me about 6min to cover - and then I entered HEAVEN - The FOOD Halls - WOW!!! + It is CHRISTMAS time!
Guess how long I spent drewling over the ADVENTSKALENDRARNA with al the BEST chocolate inside....

Finally I had to grow up and realize that I wouldn't be able to take one home (or THE one's I wanted since they were heavy and BIG)... :(


After an hour of LOOKING at food I became hungry - and hear this - I decided to eat GERMAN food!!! Sat down at a POTATO HOUSE or what they cal it and ordered the German speciality with a ..... (drums...) BEER!!

Before


After


YEP!
I NEVER ever drink beer + this week is a YOGA intensive training - Don't know what got into me but I HAD FUN!

Sitting in the middle of KaDeWe with a big plate of potatoes and chees, a BEER and a SMILE giggling on the inside!


I know two people that would have been proud of me! DAD and Berndt - Both in heaven - I know you were watching me with PROUD and a bit envious eyes ;)


Just got back to the hostel and jumped into the shower .... Or so I thought ...

In the shower room I meet a
Mexican dude - all this time I've been kinda alone in the shower room. Or guys have been entering but then leaving as soon as they've opened the door and seen me - oh well.. I've been thinking that maybe my T-Shirt was to short or something.

BUT now the Mexican dude starts to speak Mexican to me (just like al Germans speak German to me - what is up with that...?! SPEAK ENGLISH!!!) - I try to understand but then he says BOYS...
Yeah I say, it is OK, you can stay! I then understand that he's trying to tell me that this is the MENS' shower room... he takes me around the corner in the hallway and shows me the WOMENS' shower room... OUPS!

This is how it goes:
For the bathrooms' there are signs of MEN/WOMEN and next to each bathroom there is a shower room but this only has a SHOWER and NO person on it - get it!

OBS! This is NOT the picture of the WOMAN next to the bathroom. This is a pic I took today in a parking lot - have you any idea of what this symbol means in a parking lot content?!


So I thought I could take what ever shower I wanted...
If I didn't wonder why MEN left as they meet me in ´their´shower room?!

- Well - to my deafens - we do SLEEP together so I don't understand why we can't shower together?! Do you?! Oh well!! Life is full of funny rules - at least they make you laugh!

Sweet dreams Jo

Lucky Girl

MO:
Where did the day go???
I did a modelling job for SCA which took more or less all day. I know... It sounds very glamorous. (Yes, I´m even signed up with a modelling agency...) But truth is, unless you do magazine work/fashion/high end ad work it´s completely and totally UN-glamorous!
Today was fun though, since I was working with, in my opinion, Gothenburg´s most gorgeous woman M, and not only because she is physically gorgeous (she is!) but because she has the personality to match.
Thanks to her, the shoot was a hoot. :)

I was dead tired when I came home to change before my evening classes. I felt quite low actually. I think it´s the not sleeping in 6 months that is catching up. I didn´t slept a full night the month before Robin arrived and I haven´t slept a full 8h since the birth, and let´s just say, I´m starting to feel it...
Normally, around 4 months, babies start sleeping the whole night through. Errr...not our son. He still needs food 3 TIMES a night. Which means that the longest sleep-cycle I get in one night is 4h. If even.

Tired and hollow eyed I came home to find a huge bunch of flowers on the kitchen table together with a beautiful card, from P and Robin. It made my eyes water.
Wow, I´m an amazingly lucky girl.




Beautiful M getting ready for the day

...and...ACTION....

TOTALLY, incredibly unglamorous...I mean, just check out the SHOES!

An act of love on one of the days that I needed it the most...



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2009/11/24

Konichiwa

Sharing room with the amazing and humble YOSHI




That's what I call him - we're having so much fun :)

He teaches me Japanese and KANJI - so beautiful!
And he asks me about yoga, what my passion in life is, if me and my brother are alike, why I do yoga, and on and on and on....

Hostel and Japanese people is the BOMB ;)

Sweet Dreams Jo