Design trust

I don’t smoke, so I’ll have some extra money every month, or at least so you would think so. Somehow I always spend it. I’m not that kind of saving person, who would save for trusts etc. I have leaved through two different currency exchanges during my life. Once rubles to crones, and then marks to euros. So it has left me with a feeling that there is no point of saving, when the currency can change and the value of the money can change rapidly. I remember back in the days when my grandma saved money, and then when rubles changed to crones, and the value of the money dropped dramatically. Pretty harsh when you think that someone’s lifesavings might go down the drain in a moment.

I love beautiful things, and long-lasting design is close to my heart, even though we have lot’s of Ikea stuff. Vepsäläinen (local design store) had recently a campaign where you can buy stuff paying monthly without any extra charge. At the beginning I didn’t believe it, so I called there and asked are you sure that it’s completely without of extra charge even if you pay monthly. It was actually without extra fee, so it will cost exactly the same if you pay it all in once or monthly. Nowadays the advertising is so twisted that you just can’t believe everything that is said. Still there was a little twist - you have to buy items more than 2000  euros worth or something like that.

Our kitchen chairs have been in a braking point for a quite some time. Fake leather chairs simply don’t take it if you spill milk and food on daily basis on them. I have dreamt for a longer period of time Charles Eams chairs. All of a sudden everywhere I looked I could see them in the magazines and TV. The price has always been so high that I just haven’t had the opportunity to buy them. But now with this kind of offer I went to the shop and bought the chairs.

Because usually when you invest to trusts you invest for a longer period of time, so I thought of taking my “Design fund” for 5 years 50€ per month. Other big dream I’ve had is VP Globe sealing lamp. It’s something I haven’t even dared to dream of, I mean who in their right mind would buy a lamp that is more than couple of thousands euros. I remember when back in the days we lived in the centrum, I always went home by tram, and on the way there was a lamp boutique, where this lamp was hanging in the shopwindow. Back then I didn’t even know that the lamp was so expensive. Then I decided that when I turn to fifty I’ll buy that lamp together with the Charles Eams RECLINER. Now that I was in the Vepsäläinen getting the sitting chairs I saw a sample piece of the same lamp. We don’t even have a proper place for that kind of lamp. It would require in my mind at least a 7 meter high space. But I didn’t care and I bought it anyways. And because I don’t want to store it in a box, I put it on top of our bed. With some feng shui thing it’s probably really bad if you have something on top of your bed, but I think that it’s wonderful to look at something beautiful when you got to bed. At the same time it comes to my mind that if you really want something, you will get it, not necessary right away, but when the time is right. We have tied up the core many times (I didn’t want to cut it) so that once it will get the 7 meter space, what it deserves.

I tried to reason the  “Design trust” by thinking that it’s my way of saving. Usually design goods value will stay the same or even get higher with the time. E.g. the same kind of chairs that I bought now from the fifties with a nice real leather was 5000 euros one piece. Maybe my shopping doesn’t quite fit in to that category but I’m still happy that we have the stuff that I won’t get bored with even in five years.

Sauna guest house - do more things you love in your life

Sauna guest house was maybe one of the reasons why we moved to this house. It's funny how little things can influence big things, and make you do big decisions. About two years ago, when we bought this house, we moved straight away to the sauna guest house, because in our main house there was a renovation going on. It seems now funny how we all fitted in the little sauna house. I was then very pregnant, and our first born was only 1,5 years old. We had baby crib, double bed, feeding chair and dresser all in one room. In the shower room we had our clothes and kitchen stuff. In the sauna when it wasn't on, we had our home office. We had lot's of papers there and you could only use wifi on your laptop if you would sit in the highest sauna bench in a certain way. I think we were all a bit stressed out, outside it was freezing cold and the wallet was also seeing cold times. Then I remember I dreamt about the summer, when everything would be ok, and I would serve our guests some homemade apple pie.

Life is like a flower, take care of it! (oh dear, normally I kill all my flowers)

Now it seems like it all was ages ago, even though it's been only couple of years. All though the sauna guest house is in ok shape, it hasn't been quite my taste. I've always wanted to paint white, the  pine tree colored woods and this summer it finally happend, thanks to my hardworking mother! Now the whole frontroom looks so much bigger.

Recently I have realized that in your life you need to do more things that you enjoy. Even my new years resolution was to do more things that brings joy. I've kept my promise pretty well, but now since half of the year has pasted, it's good to refresh my memory and start doing nice things again. If you want action in your life you have to do it yourself.

Drums - with two kids, you just have to do sometimes something completely different

On thing that I enjoy is playing drums. Sami bought me as a 30-years gift a drum set. I have always secretly dreamt about drums, but I never had the space or money to have them. Now for two years - about once a month a drum teacher comes over to teach me how to play drums. In the beginning I had bad conscience, because I never rehearsed. I started making up excuses why I wasn't able to practice. Then I started thinking do I even like playing drums, if I don't even like to practice? But then I realized, even though I like to play, I just don't like to practice and who cares. I play drums just for my own joy (neighbors are not that joyful) and that's it. I'm adult woman and if I want to pay for it that I practice on my drum lesson, so be it. You don't have to benefit from everything, sometimes it's just good to do things without any goals.

Communication is the keyword

Lately I have understood how important is the communication between people. How much there can be misunderstandings if people don't communicate enough. Usually I'e been always the kind of person who speaks up if there is something on my mind, but lately I have noticed a little martyre in me. It's really dangerous - "Yeah I can do it", even though inside me there is a little voice going GRR - I just ignore it. You just have to have the courage to say what you feel and think, even though it's the scariest thing you can think of. Even though it's such a cliché but if you keep things inside you, it will rotten you from inside. Then we turn into grumpy old men. Of course it's another subject how to say your opinion smartly, so that the other person won't be too annoyed, and that the right message would go through.

Stickers on the wall

At home our usual disagreements got 70% less by having a big calendar on the wall, where you can see all the appointments etc. Sami, who normally hates calendars, now knows what's going on, because he can see all the arranged things with one glance on the wall. It doesn't feel like a traditional calendar or mobile calendar. When one day is over, I wipe it off and put in the new information for the next week.

Calendar is low enough for children to write, so that once they learn how to write they can put there their schedules. I bought stickers to the wall and a special pen witch text you can just wipe off with a wet cloth.

Too much stuff..

Before Christmas I tried to manage the chaos by making more room to children's room for the new stuff that the Santa was going to bring ( I think I have a complex relationship with the Santa, next year I'll ask if he can bring more "experience stuff"). The idea was to get rid of as many things as possible, so that there would be room ready for the new stuff. But it didn't quite go that way. I don't know if the kids behaved so well or what was wrong with the Santa, but now we have more stuff than before. During the Christmas I didn't eat too much, but I got stuffed with stuff. Now since it's a new year I want to get this thing under control and get rid of the extra package. With the stuff I have really mixed feelings. Sometimes I'm super excited about the stuff, and I think it's quite ok. But then there is the other side, when all the stuff just depresses you down. There is just too much stuff and it stops you to live a normal life.

I want to get the stuff chaos in a control

Now that I'm back to work, and kids are in the kindergarden the positive side is that we have "other life" as well, and we don't have the time to make a mess at home. Now I realize why there is a saying in Finnish "ruuhkavuodet", direct translation goes as trafficyears. It was sort of a slap in the face, that you have so limited time. Luckly we have two people who will take them to kindergarden and back.  I don't understand how people who are alone can work full time if the working place and kindergarden are an hour away from each other, not to mention the rush hours. Well maybe this is just the beginners shock. And when we get used to with the normal routine, things will solve on their own.

Maybe I'm just a little bit of frustrated to myself, because my super organizing project was in my mind ready, when I'll go back to work. Home was supposed to be in tip-top shape, less stuff, and the little free time that I'd had was supposed to spend with family and friends, not organizing the stuff. I guess I just have to admit, that my problem isn't organizing, I'm very good at it, but to maintain the order.. that is just super hard for me. I should also understand that organizing isn't a project, it's a continuing process..

So I have very mixed feelings. Sometimes it helps to put things into more bigger proportion. Who the f*** cares even if your home is messy and you have too much stuff as long as we are all healthy and so on. On the other hand, I don't want life to be survival, I want also to enjoy life. I think I will come to the same conclusion as always golden mean is the best.

Food and philosophy

Close to oven, pots and pans it's good to have food stuff. We have one drawer for tomato sauces, other sauces, baby food, napkins, frozen bags and parchment papers etc. It might sound weird why all these items are together but for us it seems to work.. or maybe not..

Now that I organized the drawer I found an old tomato sauce and chips from year 2011. So my system, where I try to put new stuff in the back and old stuff in the front doesn't seem to work. When I'm in a hurry I just put the stuff in the drawer and not thinking too much of what I'm doing. I have started to notice that I follow a certain pattern:

1. I decide to do things according to my system
2. When I'm in a hurry I forget or just don't care to follow the system
3. I can't find my stuff
4. I buy the exact stuff at the store
5. I have to get rid of the old stuff
6. I spend money
7. I make money to buy new things, that I don't need
8. and the whole thing starts from the beginning

Although I recognise this pattern, I still haven't managed to break it. Luckily I have this "organize-my-whole-house-project" going on, so maybe there is still hope. Maybe it's just a fact that when you have so much stuff you just can't remember what you already own. But I would like to remember what I own, and use the stuff that I own instead of buying more all the time...


By the way we went to the library today, and it felt wonderful to loan all the books, because I knew I have to return them. So no clutter, that I don't need, and I don't have to find a proper place for it. I can satisfy my urge for shopping by loaning beautiful interior design books and magazines, and I don't have to pay a dime, unless I forget to return them or they will get lost in the clutter...

Bathroom closet

It's wonderful to have a little closet under the sink where you can hide stuff. Unfortunately it's usually so messy that I can't find anything from it. Although I have organized it before, it still felt a bit messy. So now I tried to organize better by making different zones for things.

Drinking glass is a great place to keep Q-tips

Hairdryer is something that I like to own, but I don't use it that often, so I don't want to store it in a visible place. And I think it's been quite hard to find a home for it. Just today I bought on sale this organizing thing for hairdryer. There is also storage for other things; I put there nail scissors, lip balms, dental floss etc.

Transparency is the key

When I reorganized the closet, I was able to put so much more stuff into it. Now I can see everything at once, so I can actually use them. I'm sick of doing the classic mistake: buying the stuff that I already have, because I don't remember that I have them already..

It might be that it still looks a bit messy, but now every item has its own place

Stuff to the flea market

There is so much stuff everywhere. Specially little kids clothes seems to acquire our home. The clothes are just so cute and good knows what other good excuses I have for them. Usually the most common excuse is that because it's such a bargain, I just have to get it. Luckily most of their stuff I buy at the kids clothes flea market that is close to us. It's actually a really nice flea market with kids stuff only. If I would buy all the clothes directly from the shops, I think I would have been already broke.

Anyways now is the time to get rid of some clothes that are either too small or just the ones that they don't wear. Our older lady (soon turns to three) is very precise with her clothes. Everything has to be exactly the right colour and style, which is super kitch and pink. Our little boy doesn't care what he wears, so I'm happy that at least I can dress him up the way I want, and enjoy it.

Check -It says in Finnish: Stuff to the flea market and stuff to recycling centre

I've already collected the stuff ready in bags. The problem has been that I haven't been able (read: not bothered) to take them anywhere so the bags have been in the attic for the last six months. Couple of years ago I sold some stuff at the flea market, where you sell your stuff by yourself and it was quite fun. We did it together with my friend and surprisingly we got pretty much money as well. But still I'm not into that at the moment.

About a year ago I took the stuff to the flea market, where you price your stuff, and then you just leave it there. But at the end it was quite a lot of work, thinking of the prices, putting on the price tags, cleaning the table (it got really messy after people digg into it). Still I had to go to the flea market every day to check that the price tags were still there and organize the table. Too much hassle compared to the benefits.

So now I'm taking the stuff to the flea market where they will take care of the pricing etc. and they will get 50% of everything that is sold. The stuff that they won't sell, you can get back or leave it to them, and they will give it to children foster homes etc. So that is a perfect solution for me. What more do you want. I can get rid of the extra stuff and even got some money out of it, and on top of that I have a good feeling that I can also make a donation to the charity I choose.

Some of the stuff I took directly to the recycling centre, so now I've done my good did of the day. Then I have one big bag full of children's clothes to my friend who is going to have a baby in the fall.


It's funny how easy it is to gather all the stuff, but to take them away seems so much harder. According to the organizing gurus you should always get rid of one item if one item comes in. But even now, when I took the stuff to the flea market I bought some cool stuff for the kids.. It's always when you think you won't buy anything, you will find something really nice that you just have to have, even though deep inside you know that you don't need it at all.

Gorgeous cherry blossoms

Some things you just can't fit in the picture. Cherry tree blossoms so beautifully that I just don't have words for it. Sort of have this japanese feeling. Although I don't understand anything about gardening, sometimes I get excited and do something in the garden, because the weather has been absolutely beautiful.

Cherry trees blossom

My potting sowing is going so-and-so. Some of them I already put in our garden. I don't like doing gardening in the ground, so we lifted up the growing place.

The white thing on top of it should protect from too much sun etc.

We have an old pot. Last year we had there only weeds. But now I put there some violets. I waited a bit too long before I put them in the pot. And I forgot to give them water, so they are a little tired already. They said it will rain tonight, so I didn't give them water now either. No wonder 90% of my plants will die..

Witch pot

I love tulips because they come year after year, and you don't have to worry about them. Or maybe you should, but we have tulips and weed growing in nice harmony.

Like a candy

I think taking care of your garden should be easy. I love watching at the beautiful garden, but I wouldn't like to work for it many hours a day. Maybe when I get older I'll change, but for now I'll do garden stuff for five minutes, and that's fine for me..

Beautiful colour combination

Wooden shed for the fireplace wood

Seen the shoe polish?

Went on a cruise with the girls and it was just wonderful. We enjoyed it a lot. Ship was empty, so it felt like it was reserved only for us. Little trip did good. I found this wonderful box from on of the shops in the ship. Now I have a proper place for all the shoe polish stuff such as old wool-socks with holes in it and the actual shoe polish. One more shelf organized in the little hallway.

One more shelf organized in the little hallway

Dirty laundry

Sometime it feels like everyday is a laundry day. We don't have a traditional Finnish type laundry-closet for different coloured dirty clothes. It would be nice, but we don't have it. We used to have "New York"-style trash-can that was used for dirty laundry. But I lost my patience with the constant organizing of dirty laundry by colour before you ditch them into the washing machine. Now the trash-can is used for recycling cans at the sauna, and I bought us new laundrybaskets.

We have three laundry-baskets. One for whites, one for blacks and one for colourful clothes. Now I save time, because I don't have to organize the dirty laundry before the washing but I can put it to the correct basket right away. There are holes in the lids, so with smaller laundry I don't even have to open the lid. I love simple little things that make your life a tiny bit easier.

I'm known in my family to take over any open space,  so it's quite a challenge for me to keep the surfaces empty. Luckily there are holes in the lids, so I can't put too much stuff on it.