Bringing in some heat in your body

I've been using this website with online yoga classes for when I wont make it to yoga as well as doing some yoga in the morning. There are many fun ones to try but this morning I tried "Renew your Rhythms". It's a great 25 minutes practice which is very different from other classes I've taken. It moves Prana through your body and brings some heat into it. Perfect for those chilly mornings we've been having. Anyway check it out and look at some of the other classes as well.

Mommy's little helper

I gave a speech yesterday on food to help you boost you immune system. I wanted to bring some yummy treats for the group and therefore spend all Friday and Saturday morning getting baking and cooking. The sampling menu ended up being; fava bean hummus on whole wheat beet bread, ginger lemonade, kale salad and a rich chocolate cake to end it with. It was hard work but I had no food left after the event. I did help that I had my own little helper, Bella!!! She is in that age where she wants to help out and see everything I do. Here she helped me kneel the dough for the bread.

I have the most beautiful helper I think!!!!

Breakfast is served #2 ....in bed this time

Sunday mornings are our lazy family morning. Bella has a cold so she woke up early not feeling great so I decided it was time for breakfast in bed. This something I did with my mom once in a while when I was young and have fond memories of and want to pass on to Bella. When she woke up at 5:15 am this morning, yes I know eaaaarly!!!! I left Bella and James to rest in bed and got up and baked my zucchini buns and some tea. James and Bella loved the breakfast as you can see.

Trick or Treat (English) ... Bus eller Godis (Swedish)

At 3 years old... I expected this would be the first year Isabella would really understand Halloween and get excited about her costume and going out trick or treating...

Isabella picked out her Halloween costume a couple weeks ago... she wanted to be a princess. She has been talking about being a princess for days!

We went up to my parents in the morning. After saying Trick Or Treat and going into the house... it took about 1 min before she wanted to get out of her princess costume...

She did go trick or treat later in the evening after seeing other kids doing it. She got a lot of candy but she has absolutely no interest in eating it. She wants to taste it and says she does not like it.

At my parents from door... trick or treat

Isabella was more interested in reading, playing the piano and having fun with Grandma and Grandpa

Isabella was more interested in handing out candy to the kids that came to the door...

... but as more kids came to the door, she decided she wanted to go out!

She had a great time walking around the neighborhood... we went to about 10 houses... she came home and counted her candy.

Happy Halloween Everyone! Halloween is even starting to be popular event in Sweden.

Breakfast is served

Most mornings it's just me and Bella and she just like is not a morning person. She wants her breakfast served her way with not too much fuss. After that and having her cloths changed she usually becomes her own glory self again.

A good breakfast is an important start of the day, cereal, water melon and goji berries for Bella

Bella in her much better mood with strawberries all around her mouth

Isabella's 3rd Birthday Party

So our peanut is not so little anymore. She has turned 3 years old and is a big girl with a lot of will and opinions. We had two days of celebrations starting on Friday first with a breakfast in bed together. In the evening there were a open house at day care and we also celebrated Bella's birthday. Saturday morning we had a brunch party at our house with her favorites; pancakes. We had pumpkin, strawberry and plain pancakes as well as fruit and pumpkin-chocolate chip bread. Mmmmmm it was so good. Most of her friends came over and loved playing with her toys and jumping on a bouncy we had in the garden. She got many fun presents; a sandbox, dresses, shoes, books and some snugly things. The fun had to come to an end at 2pm when she was ready for a nap. The evening was mellow with her order of veggie burgers and grilled asparagus as well as a small piece of chocolate cake made by Jessica.

We've added the highlights below. You can see all the pictures from her birthday here.

She absolutely loved opening the presents

She loved this Panda Bear and gave it a big hug right away

A bunch of pancakes (pumpkin, strawberry and regular!) with Sandy looking beautiful as always.

Even Annie (our daycare provider) came and Bella was so happy

All the moms from daycare, from left; Mary, Bu, Annie and me

A very important present, her own Charger shirt from Jess

James's family together at last... Allen surprised us all by driving from Fresno (norther CA)

The Meltcalfe's visiting from St Thomas... Richard, Cindy, Kainoah

Beautiful Chrissy came

Brian with his Girls, Rowan (left) and Fiona

Cindy and Bella

Synchronized hullahopping between Ki and Cindy

Toni gives it a try

...and Chrissy

...as well as Allen

Toby and Fredrica playing with the balloons

She got so into the this book from David, she forgot about the other presents

Uncle Allen had a great time with Bella... they jammed out on a few piano for her

Our beautiful birthday girl!

On Friday Isabella got to blow out the candles for the first time

Dad's 40th Birthday

Wow... another decade :-) I had a fun birthday week... The night of my birthday I went to a great yoga class with Ulf and David Snow.

Fredrica and Jessica three a intimate birthday dinner for me on the 15th. And my parents and the Somervilles got together on Monday night to watch the big Charger's game.

Dinner on the 15th... What a great gift... Microbrews from around the country!

After dinner... let's have some silly fun!

Bella loves the balloons for dad's birthday!

Outside my parents house... Big Four Oh...

You both did a great job decorating for the big game... bummer we didn't win :-(

#1 Charger Fans!

But what a beautiful night it was (if you haven't been to my parents house, the view is amazing!)