Photographer Zena Holloway 

www.zenaholloway.com

WHERE ARE ALL THE COOL BOYS CLOTHES HIDDING??

Having a boy makes shopping a tat bit boring when the high street offer, is limited.

As much as I love Baby Gap, Mini Rodini,  Ej Sikke Lej, ZaraKids and all those cool trendy things for an adult that comes in mini size – I love.

Have you seen the baby vans and converse? 

I don’t dislike the traditional British boys clothes but they don’t rock my boat. I mean the clothes that you can buy in John Lewis, Mamas & Papas and all those other shop you found on the high street. Primark is a busy shop and dead friendly to our money- and we all know why, therefore a no in my opinion.

A big no to all those expensive label clothes. Seriously? Label clothes for a child? Are there any children who don’t get dirty during a day? Baby clothes, for some reason tends to spend more time “spinning around” in the washing machine rather then being worn.

I am fed up with baby blue, teddy bear, stripy clothes but most of all those stereotypical colours of what a boy should wear.

H&M is a winner- the clothes have more imagination and the price is family friendly. When it comes to children wear I am a firm believer in quality and therefore willing to pay more. I see children and adult wearing shoes that has been made so cheaply that the rubber underneath is sloping either to the right or left side. That slop normally comes with decades. With the time being- not all of us have the money…  

BUT,

As a parent, you can’t do cut out when its about your children having the right objects to grown without problem in the future. 100 % Organic cotton clothes, 100 % organic food, shoes that are made to a high standard, from quality materials. Unfortunately some shops offers bad quality products, but its us, its our fault for them being alive. If less and suddenly more people were aware of the crap quality maybe then those shop would vanish from the surface and more quality products would be on the shelves for a more reasonable price.

Crouch End- buggy paradise and baby land. We are ‘lucky’; we got some dissent children shops offering quality. I seriously think we missing one shop Lindex.

They are wallet friendly, cool & hip and the quality is rock on. They got online shopping, and I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Long live a long time ago

I miss STKLM

With a bit of magic, i got new swedish music on my ipod, its angels words straight in to my ear. Swedish music. Hope you fall in love with this song as much as I have.

Sju sorger

Länge leve längesen
som jag minns det var det lätt
även när jag trillade omkull
Länge leve du min vän
du som alltid följt mig hem
nykter eller alldeles för full
Snön är vit som den var förr
när vi bodde dörr i dörr
Men det va så längesen
ja det va säkert längre än
Sju sorger och åtta bedrövelser sen
Så längesen, så längesen
Du kommer nog aldrig mer vara min vän
Det va för längesen sen, så längesen
Så längesen
leve sommaren
den som kom och gick igen
snabbare än någonsin förut
Vi fick inte åka någonstans
inte ens till Köpenhamn
grät och grät tills tårarna va slut
Står och låtsas inte se
att du står precis bredvid
Kände dig för längesen
ja det va säkert längre än
Sju sorger och åtta bedrövelser sen
Så längesen, så längesen
Du kommer nog aldrig mer vara min vän
Det va för längesen sen, så längesen
Så längesen
Länge leve längesen
som jag minns det var det lätt
även när jag trillade omkull
Länge leve du min vän
du som alltid följt mig hem
nykter eller alldeles för full
Ååh, åtta bedrövelser sen
Så längesen, så längesen
Du kommer nog aldrig mer vara min vän
Det va för längesen sen, så längesen
Så längesen

Seven sorrows

Long live a long time ago,
As I remember, it was easy
Even when I fell over
Long live you, my friend
You, who always walked me home
Sober or just too drunk
The snow is white as it was before
When we used to live next door to one another
But it was so long ago
Yeah, it was surely longer than
Seven sorrows and eight afflictions ago
So long ago, so long ago
You will probably never be my friend anymore
It was too long ago, so long ago
So long ago
Long live the summer
That came and went again
Faster than ever before
We didn't go anywhere
No even to Copenhagen
We cried and cried until there were no more tears
Standing and pretending not to see
That you're standing just next to me
I've known you for a long time
Yeah, it was surely longer than
Seven sorrows and eight afflictions ago
So long ago, so long ago
You will probably never be my friend anymore
It was too long ago, so long ago
So long ago
Long live long ago
As I remember, it was easy
Even when I fell over
Long live you, my friend
You, who always walked me home
Sober or just too drunk
Ooh, eight afflictions ago
So long ago, so long ago
You will probably never be my friend anymore
It was so long ago, so long ago
So long ago

Special alert! Special alert! Crouch End No:3

 

 

I LOVE THIS LIBRARY. It’s heaven packed with intelligent atmosphere where you can dig in anyone else’s story and put you and your mind away. The library’s seem to have that effect on me, dive away from my myself into someone else, these days children books, children advice books, get in to shape books and the DVD are just my taste, WORLD WIDE CINEMA. I have enjoyed both my 2 films I have rented so far.

Loves me, Loves me not. Don’t let the title or the first 30 min fool you. I wont say anything, as it is a quality film. 

I also barrowed Fahrenheit 241 Ray Bradbury. I was forced to read the book for English lessons back home in Sweden in high school. I am so forever grateful that my teacher Mr Goran Dahl introduced me to it. The book is amazing and I hope someone will be making a remake of it really soon.

The library is also heaven for children. With times being the way they are, I bet many of us with child/children do not always have the financial on top. I don’t, and it has gotten to my moods and me. But this library is a very helpful medication and meditation.

The children section is brilliant! There is a play area, where you also can sit and read books with lovy. And if you are anything like me, hopeless romantic. Then I just have to let you know they have Anne of Green Gables DVD. The romantic love story by the Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, should be knowable to everyone. When I watched it, I felt like I was 16 again and how angry I got with Anne for not seeing that Gilbert was the one.

Go and dive in the books. Is the best cheap massage for you and your mind, so peaceful.

What will the outcome be???

 

Being terrorised with thoughts, my brain will just not put it to the side. I think both my brain and soul are fed up. Most of all I am irritated with myself for not putting my foot down and stomp on the problem till it screamed for help and gasped for air. You might be picturing me hurting someone to death but in my head I WAS STOMPING LIKE A CHILD IN PUDDLE.

 

In my family life, I seem to be smacked to often with the fact that Hubby and I come from 2 different cultures. Thankfully he aint bad with understanding and does take in that were I come from we might do things a bit differently and NOT “Stone age British” or “modern British” way”. And you know what, there are more then these two I just mentioned. You got the; Scottish way, The north way, Geordie way, Capital complex way, Wales way, Chav way, Midwife way and the list goes on.

Personal opinion, I think a lot of people do not understand the impact of psychology is to a human and individual behaviour. 

Lets explain.

1.

You without looking managed to turn on freakingly hot water instead of cold and got burned.  What will the outcome be? To always look before. You got burned- hurt.

2.

A parent is telling the child not to hit the baby sister while you are hitting that child yourself.

What would the outcome be? Will this child stop hitting the baby sister?  No he/she will not.

3.

If a adult person were forced to adapt to the fact that the dad is no longer in the picture while growing up, go through childhood with no dad, puberty with no dad, and turning in to an adult with no dad. What would the outcome be?

This is a bit deeper but the main point is that, that person would not want that for his/her own children.

4.

If someone is non-stop telling you what should be done and you are not on bored with the saying, but its being feed to you repeatedly and irritating you and this person refuse to understand that you do not agree.

What factor/factors causes this type of outcome in this person behaviour?

Hope your brain is getting hot. 

My solution is based on that the person while growing up has never been told off when doing something that is wrong to others. This person has managed to pass through years without any consideration to other people might be just as right as him/her. 

That person picks the habit up from situation like this.

Ex. Two children are playing, the bigger one wants to have all the toys to him/her self. 

Ex. One person in the classroom just shuts out the answer while the others puts hand up and waits for the signal to speak up.

Ex. The oldest one gets to do the most important jobs while younger brother/sisters just sit and watch.

As you probably understand I am up against person describe in 4. The one that just cant admit being wrong and don’t take any consideration towards my act. I can tell off some and some I can’t. But the problem is regarding my little one and his way of being brought up. Why on earth would I use typical “Britt-ness” when I wasn’t brought up here .I strongly believe that I use common sense with hint of "swedishness"

If YOU CAN ARGUE that Britt-ness is better, I am up for a debate. Please prove me wrong?!! 

You see, I am the parent that is home with the little one, while hubby is working. Very sad!

Sad that my little one, hardly (these days) gets to see and spend time with his dad. Sad that hubby misses out on a lot of things.

But according to this person it’s a good thing to put the little one down early as 7 o’clock. My little one, who loves his dad, saw him for 20 minutes today.

That is NOT  what I signed up for when starting a family. To bring a bit Freud into this, the outcome of my irritation will be to tell this person off, ones and for all – YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR MY CHILD. 

Mr Freud I wish I met you... 

Workingmums LIVE London exhibition- ANGEL 27th March 2012

http://www.workingmumslive.co.uk/london

Waitrose Love Life

 

I love how refreshing and uplifting this
tiny little box can make me feel.
Waitrose Love Life

I love life 

We ALL can have Simon Cowel teeth. We just need to use the toothbrush...

 

Do you remember first time you spotted that ever so first – first baby teeth?

You might still be waiting… It will be a lot of drool, a lot of putting things in the mouth, and a lot of pain. You feel so helpless as a parent when you can’t do much to make it go. But you can use baby Nurofen. I owe that bottle a lot of thank you!

The first tooth is so special. Feel a tat sad for the other ones, but being typical me I got them, (the ones that are up) all written down, when they were first discovered.

I do, we were doing our weekly food shopping Sainsbury. And it was a big thing, but most of all you realize how the time- having a baby how precious it really is.

Without knowing the baby you were growing inside will not be one.

As I was (still am) breastfeeding, I was told that I should use a toothbrush before no teeth were out. As milk creates bacteria in the mouth as well. That’s understandable; on a grown up whom no longer has teeth. You tend to see a lot of them walking loose on the street. I found it a bit “I’m about to hurl up” thinking about it a bit deeper. 

Uk is situated in Europe, its 2012, almost everywhere has a dentist or four of them in one area and toothbrushes and toothpaste are sold everywhere. Who are we to blame for a grown up not to have any teeth or maybe just some teeth?? I want to blame someone for the cause of the rotten teeth that occurs in some, no- in to many mouth.

Did the parent delayed the phase YOU NEED TO USE TOOTHBRUSH??

Did the parents not make sure that these young teeth needed a smashing clean from a whole day?

Did Dentists not visit schools and talked to all the children the importance of having white chewable teeth till you die?

I have so far invested in 3 toothbrushes. My favourite one is.

Wisdom from 0-2 years, (just to be cleared you cant use the same brush till the age of 2), is specially designed to clean first teeth. Has a small head for easy access, super soft filaments to gently clean first teeth and safely massage teething gums. I have bought this one twice and I love how my little one founds it fun to use it. He knows what to when I hand over it to him.

I introduce it to him when he needed it the most, when those first teeth were popping out and he wanted a good help with that itching feeling in the mouth.

That is probably the best time. 

 

You can buy them from 

Petter Pharmacy

49-51 The Broadway, Crouch End

N8 8DT

 

Ps Pink is just a colour and not a Baby girls Colour

 

To the soft calming music, smell of the coffee, the sound of the washing machine. Its nice to have me time. Stolen time for me, its heaven. Looking at the white space in front of me does not reflex my 2011-year. Thinking back at this, what now is last year, such a surreal year? 

My external hard drive has no longer space, as I have filled 500gb with pictures of my little one. That is a lot of photograph of one baby. And I can guess the four figure numbers when its reveal how much it will cost to process them all on to paper.

That year as being first time mum, has flown by, (wish I could say the same thing about the extra unnecessary kilos on my body.)

Reality check.

Christmas came and went, my little one in gingerbread outfit got his first Trike.

Got a feeling December will drive hubby and me insane for the rest of our life. Our first child birthday just before Christmas and him turning 1 year old 2011,

Just had to be the best. I had been planning it for months, rainbow theme and after that one; I’m guessing I am expected as he grows to make each year better then the year before.

In a way I am looking forward to it, make my own banners, cake, decorate the venue and etc. Most of all December has given me a hope that 2012 will be even better and my happiness mixed with eagerness cant wait for the explosion.

The November days were spent being on mission, found things to entertain us and we discovered Parkland Walk, on its path every time, felt like an escape home. Being able to walk a straight line and get from Highgate to Finsbury Park is a cheap ticket to a new scenery- worth doing if you just had a baby. But getting on it with a pushchair requires tricks or just start from one end and walk to the other end and back.

Parkland Walk

Alexander palace

Surprise visits by grandparents in October. Spending some time with Jennie and her little one. Breathing in sea air out in Essex. Enjoying the last summer day in October being in nearby woods, photographing, Forever treasure moment.

The month associated with mushroom picking in Sweden. Virgos months September, also the

month I turned 28. Celebrated with a selection of different cakes with silver candles one.

Having a great laugh when finding a butternut squash shape as bum at Parkside Farm out in Enfield.
Spending time in the Geordie land- New castle.

Walking on the sandy beach of Tynemouth in NewCastle. Feeling the sand escaping through your fingers, as you realise summer is far away.

Lijeholmskajen STKLM
Coming back to the big smoke in August from a great-spent time in Stockholm. Enjoying quality time with family and friends. Spending my days pretending I lived in one of those amazing flat with 2 balconies at Liljeholmskajen just 30 min walk from the heart of the city. 

Strolling from park to park, i-land-to-i-land being surrounded by water and among annoyingly healthy, fit looking Swedes. Had a trip down memory lane and revisit my old Kindergaden and old school yard.

 Stockholm

Priory Park London

The Priory Park had an amazing transformation in July when turning in to a funfair. It was like being in the Not Book film, with misplaced people looking too modern rather then from 30s.

With high expectations, me and my little one flew over to Sweden to enjoy fresh air and being able to move about in a child friendly city.

Non stop drooling, first little baby teeth pushing through in June. First discovery while shopping at Sainsbury. Unexpectedly fell in love with joy ride, Brighton who surprisingly offered much more then just being a “chavy paradise”.

In early May we discovered that baby feet were very eatable. Spending every sunny day in the park wearing Sahara pans and wearing various hats. My favourite is the baby jazz hat from H&M. having friends over for Jennies baby shower celebrating a boy to be born in July. We bounced away May in our bouncer hanging in any doorway.

Public Transport sign London

Somewhere along with loneliness, really making its effort to be my best friend while the April was having its shower. I gradually become a London hater. Hating, that the city I fell in love with does no longer have space for me and my pushchair and most of all that my little one among with other children in the future will be welcomed in to adulthood with a massive loan debt (- for education purpose). I guessing Mr David Cameron’s and his Mrs don’t lay awake at night thinking about;

What a better life they can give to their child if they lived in Sweden. Should we hire the nanny with the best qualification and pay her (guessing) £500a day. Or just to get more votes maybe we should consider that (whispering)“very posh” nursery where warm food, nappies and a lot of stimulation and outdoor play is a most and we can afford to pay £500 a week. A child minder could be an option. We got all the money, as we live in this perfect house, where central heating can be on 24/7 and have Brita tap-water installed, have a house cleaner, someone to cook food and someone who uses the silent hover machine so the baby wont get upset. 

Thoughts were driving me mad, so I took on a job offer and flew out to Palma Majorca. Behind my back I knew I was being criticised, leaving my little child.

I needed it. My hubby needed it. The boys needed quality time away from me. And daddy got the first laugh with a sound out of him while I was gone.You see, in Sweden the dads are just as important as the mum to a child. 

The stupid 2 weeks paternity leave can’t be compered to what they get in Sweden.

                                                                                       

The word family and love got to have a whole new meaning in March. I was happily lost, lost in dreams and the reality but safe inside this magical bubble. All I wanted was to be near my baby.

My sciatica pain refused to let me go and kept bothering me no matter what I did. Nighttime was the worse, and somewhere Dr Cunningham (a friend) (who is a dr)

Probably thought I developed to be a Paracetamol and Ibuprofen junky. As I took more then 8 a day.

Hubby grew a year older, in February, looking absolutely like a desirable Move star and the new daddy look suited him very much. Little one getting ear tested, wearing socks as mitten- (couldn’t take them off to scratch his lovely face). Having my lovely friend H over from Sweden so she and the baby was introduce properly. Finally got to spend time and to show off my little one to Evy. We had a pooh- nappy horrible accident and a lot of baby screaming when the hand dryer went on unexpectedly.

Had not so magical car journey up to New Castle (what do you not do for family),

Flashing my breast to other drivers, feeding my little one whenever.  That only worked in Maxi-Cosi for newborn. Discovering that John Mayer, (despite what the magazines says) he makes my little one happy. John creates silent magic with smiles.

In January I realize I have empty travel bags, (they never been proper filled since I moved to London).  Folded clothes in my wardrobe and I no longer owe a travel toothbrush and my big camera bag with lenses, filters seem to be collecting more dust. Its wired how the feeling of urge to go and explore, filling (photography) memory cards with photos of unfamiliar places and people…

No LONGER appeal to me. Its wired how that pushing feeling has gone over to home is good, if not only the best.  I am happily comfortable, (unthinkable thought while growing up). I got the love of my life, whom I will forever spend, the rest of my life with - my hubby in our home- first real place to call home- where I will grow more in to “mummy hood”.

I gladly share my memory card with my hubby to capture all our moments as family and yes I want to decorate the bedroom walls with photograph of us- family.

My 2011 really started a month earlier, as I gave birth to our boy Leo in December.

“I LOVED YOU FIRST”, “I LOVED YOU FIRST”