Entries by TATIANA

After passing out from lack of sleep, I got up around 10 pm....took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, threw on some jeans, a hoodie and sneakers then me and my brother went out for a few hours of late night sightseeing in Stockholm.
We did a loop from Söder, through Gamla Stan (Old Town) down to City and Östermalm.
It was like I was never gone. This is me looking at the view of beautiful Stockholm from Gondolen.





Dalahästar. These are traditional statuettes carved out of wood then painted, usually red but they come in different colors. Many people that visit Sweden as tourists will end up bringing one home, most of the time not as large as the ones in the pic.



Mårten Trotzigs Gränd. This is the narrowest street in Stockholm, you can find it in Gamla Stan. Old Town.





More from Gamla Stan. I bought a latte and it was gross but I sipped on it while walking. Tomorrow I'm going to have a proper kaffe latte and some prinsesstårta (my fave cake).





I found a payphone. I needed a pic wit it. Of course. It's good that my brother is a patient and willing photographer.



My brother Robert.



Sergels Torg aka Plattan.



I'm so ready for sleep now, have to catch up on it. Godnatt!

Surprise! I'm in Sweden! I arrived a few hours ago and now I'm at my brothers apartment charging my phone and deciding on what I'm going to do today....it's 3 pm here and today happens to be the National Day of Sweden. Lots of stuff going on in Stockholm tonight! Sunshine and 20 degrees C out. I can't wait to meet up with my family, all my friends, have latte (fika) and eat yummy food! More from Sweden later.....
🙂

So I finally got myself around to donate stuff to Lee Shore. It's a place in Kenai that houses abused women and children. I thought I would start a little collection for Lee Shore at work.
I have been rather lazy about it but I did manage to raise some money. I called it Tati's Tampon Fund, to make it fun. I also had a nice collection of magazines at home. I used to bring them to work and leave them there for the other girls to read but the latest is that we are not supposed to read at work. Whatever. Well, I hope that somebody else will enjoy the magazines then. Also a few books that I don't mind parting with. Also donated but not in the picture, two boxes of baby wipes. I made another run to the store after I took the picture.
I called Lee Shore before I went shopping and asked what they needed the most. The lady I talked to told me diapers and women's hygiene products. I learned that diapers are pricey. Well, they seemed appreciative over the stuff. I'm glad. Thank You to everybody at work that contributed, it was very kind of you!

I'm having another one of those pamper myself nights. It's almost 3 am and here I am typing away. I just got out of the bath and washed off the thick layer of honey I had on my face. Honey has anti bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. I like to use it as a face mask because in my mind it's good for the skin, I follow with a thick layer of night cream and hope to wake up looking amazing. The honey I used tonight is manuka honey. Chamomile tea is also anti-bacterial, you can use it on wounds to clean them and heal them faster. I sometimes make chamomile tea, let it cool down and clean Chhaya's gums with it. Or any small cut she might get, I clean that with chamomile tea. Coconut oil supposedly is an anti-bacterial too although I never tried it for that. Why am I bringing this up? Because I read that hand and body sanitizers containing triclosan will be banned in Minnesota, research is out that say triclosan might be harmful to humans and animals and that it also might promote the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The ban is going to take effect a few years from now.
There are plenty of reports out there that certain bacteria and diseases are getting resistant to antibiotics. That's scary. Back in the day you could die from a simple cut or a small sore if it got infected, then the antibiotics came along like a great panacea and now we are becoming immune. I read about some new strain of gonorrhea that is resistant to antibiotics. And other super bugs. Maybe this will be a way of Earth to purge itself from over population.
I'd say wash your hands with regular soap and hot water. And maybe use more of the natural approach to stuff. Essential oils from Young Living and Do Terra are also great for keeping healthy and clean. Take baths with chamomile tea or Epsom salt. I think that I will skip on the soaps containing triclosan from now on. And I never been a big user of those anti bacterial gels, I've tried them a few times but that's it.
But I'm getting tired now.....and I still have to take care of a load of laundry that just got done. Then sleep! Goodnight!

I know that I have put up so many pictures of the view of Mount Redoubt from the road by my house so many times but it is sooooo gorgeous out now, me and Chhaya went for a walk around 11 30 pm last night and this is what I saw. It was so beautiful and peaceful out, just me and Chhaya and the mosquitoes. The sunset by the beach must had been spectacular last night, all orange, pink and red colors across the sky. I love it here right now. Later today I'm going for a late night run. I'm looking forward to it already, the fresh air and feeling alive.
Best feeling!



We saw this little moose last night, eating grass and drinking water. I know the Mama moose was somewhere close by so me and Chhaya kept our distance. I saw a baby moose drinking milk from a Mama the other day while I was out walking. The Mama had a look in her eyes that said, "Stay Away!" So cute though!!!! Well, I actually have a lot on my plate today.....so I better get going.

Today I had another bad pedi, one more to add to the list of bad beauty services had in Alaska. I don't understand how a nail salon or a spa can let people that don't have the proper experience or knowledge handle a client's hair, skin or nails and then have the nerve to charge full price for it. If I wanted an apprentice I would go to some kind of a place where students offer beauty services for discount prices, while they are being supervised by an experienced teacher. The absolute worst was when I had a spa pedicure at Allure Spa (supposedly one of the best) in Anchorage, $80 and an absolute joke. I also had the pleasure of having a rather crappy facial at the same place. In Soldotna I had an upper leg wax at Karlene's last summer, also a place that advertise themselves as a higher end spa. It was the worst leg wax ever. No wonder I'd rather do my own toes and wax my own legs. Much cheaper and you don't have to sit there baffled, while somebody is handling you like they never performed a service like that before. And then they expect a tip afterwards. Really?
Some people just don't have the right touch, they only attended beauty school because it's an education that anyone that is willing to pay for can put themselves through and it might lead to a job afterwards. Not because they truly are passionate about the art of esthetics.
Never again will that old man that was handling my toes today going to touch them again.
He was nice but awful at his chosen craft and I went in there for a pedi, not to have the pleasure of sitting close to a "nice" man while he attempted to cut and file my toenails and then perform some fort of a pedi. A pedicure consists of more than removing the old polish and slapping on some new polish and a top coat.



I am excited over my new pretty cleaning products by Method. Especially the pink and the purple bottles, grapefruit and lavender.