It's beginning to look like Christmas...

Spending Christmas in Dar was not in the plan, but reality is that with the price of holiday flights we can make two trips to Finland on a low season. So we will rather do that. I am trying to find my inner Martha Steward and create our very own Christmas here. So you can bet Michael Bublé's Christmas album is heard a lot here. And Kemppi family long time favorite Wham! Last Christmas too. 

I am getting there. Already had one Christmas meal with the Finnish community and getting ready to make some piparkakku and joulutorttu on Sunday. With the kids so no idea if we will actually have any at Christmas ;). Kids got to meet Santa during the community gathering and it actually took a while for J  to get that it wasn't the real Christmas yet. 

Today we put up the (plastic)tree. I ended up getting the plastic one because even though the real ones are available I doubt if they would survive 2 days in this heat.

My guide to getting the tree ready:

1) hesitate for weeks whether or not to buy a real tree then get a lucky strike and get a plastic one for 12€.

2) put up the tree and realize it's tiny. Build some leverage with cosmetics metal boxes that are lying around: hey who needs those extra tooth brushes at Christmas??

3) put up the lights that you have dragged couple of thousand kilometers to realize that most of them are dead. Take them down to place only the lit ones one the tree. Find one of the missing bulbs and blug it in, and have another 10 lights working. So take them down and put them up the third time.

4) invite the kids to decorate. Re-place the ones that hmm... Are in the wrong spot (not being OCD but 4 ornaments on a single branch is a bit excessive)

5) sing carols and decorate (J's idea)

6) quickly grab some pictures because it's all over in 3 mins

7) admire the work 

I still have to hunt for the star but hey, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

What makes your Christmas? 

P.S. Small Xmas miracle, the boys only fought after the tree was decorated and done. :)

Forced Minimalism

While I was planning to Minimalize my wardrobe - I wasn't planning on coloring 80% of my underwear with stains of blue :(. Unfortunately this is what I did few days ago.

After feeling sorry for myself for a minute, I actually went through what was destroyed. Most of it old, most of it something that I had planned to throw out but just didn't get around to it. Now they are gone. I kept one set that I'm gonna try to see if I could color them nice, if I don't within then next month they are out of here.

I have also been creating my Pinterest board. I seem to have a facination for pencil skirts and white skinny jeans. Oh I could never pull of most of these looks but it's good to dream right ;)

Shorts that are suitable for office are also big on the list. But I have two already, plus one jeans version so I think maybe one patterned pair at some point will do. 

Skirts I actually need, since I currently own one skirt. I'm thinking two, custom made, one more formal, the other more fun. The jeans will have to wait.

On another note, we had some drama few weeks back. I was just finishing my first gymnastics class when T calls and asks do they do stitches at the IST clinic (the hospital we use. "M is hurt". Story is that he was jumping on an air mattress and fell down. No idea why the three adults in the room didn't make him stop but I guess these things happen. Rushed to the hospital it took some minutes for him to talk at all. Talking to him, hugging him, no response. I knew he was physically ok, but emotionally this ray of sunshine was seriously injured. To hear him whisper "Paljon, Paljon, Paljon" after I told him I love him felt so good. He got his four stiches while fighting four adults, almost winning, and playing math games on Ipad. 

After that he got some 100% attention from T and I. The picture below was taken 20 minutes after stiching. Clearly he was fine and definitely had not learned his lesson.

He is good as new and back to trouble...

maiju’s wall paint ltd

Among other things, getting a fundi to come and do paint work takes time. First I have to talk to Tonny, then remind him, and remind him again, and maybe again after a couple of weeks. Then he calls the fundi who says he is coming over - and shows up couple of days later. Leaves to buy paint and shows up next week. Paints the wall once and when you check it, looks like a child had a fun day with paint. Tell them to do it again. Go through negotiations who should pay for the re-work, wait for another paint shopping. Then get it done almost. Make the mistake of paying them something and they disappear for days. Then maybe come to finish the job. And still it’s not perfect. Far from it. But you just want to get it D-O-N-E.

So, to avoid this month long process I discovered Pinterest. Oh, how I love Pinterest. It has an answer to any question. Home made liquid soap? Check. Minimalist wardrobe? Check. Cute crafts for Suomi koulu? Check. Gymnastics in English vocabulary? Check. Social media presentations? Check. Anything, hear me, ANYTHING. 

Back to the today’s story, sorry for rambling. The facts: 
Wanted to make an impact. 
Had leftover paint. 
Found a picture and painted a wall. 

Tonny was a bit surprised when he came home that afternoon.

Pinterest way

my way


I have to say that I am so happy with the end result. It was fun and I bet my lines are straighter than the fundi’s.

My not-so-little Angel

Hi Julius,

at age four you are one amazing little package. I know, I am your mom and I have to say this, but I truly feel like that. The still love music and sometimes even Fireman Sam, but Ninja Turtles and Ironman are starting to take over. While I am proud of you it makes me little sad. You are no longer a little baby.

You like to listen to music and dance, and you already have all the girls chasing you around the yard. You are very kind to your little brother but you are starting to get into big fights too. I love hearing you talk to him “ ax, katso LISKO" very clearly. And if he does something silly, I often hear you say “Äiti we need to teach Max..” One of your favourite things is when someone takes pictures of you. You make my day by bringing me some flowers from Bibi’s garden, I hope she doesn’t mind. Your Swahili is fluent now, and you are picking up English like a little machine. January you will be starting montessori school, I hope you will enjoy it. 

Stay as kind, loving and full of sunshine and you will make miracles happen! 

it’s finally party time...J4

Julius turned 4 in August. And I am a horrible, but we only managed to organize a party for him October 26. But we managed, and I am lucky that 4 year old time concept is not very accurate yet. :)


He had been asking for a water balloon party, so that's exactly what we gave to him. True to my fashion, I don't do parties at home, so this time venue was at Afrikka (what the kids lovingly call the grandparents place). 

The day was a blast, we had bubbles, and a peaceful water balloon volleyball match that turned into a full blown fight because we had some sore losers ;). But I loved the fact that everyone was game, and didn’t sit on the side lines.

After we got everyone wet (except me of course, I was busy taking photos and eating salmiakki) we had a nice meal of grilled chicken and french fries. There was a nice lemon-vanilla cake made by Latifa and mandazi from our favorite street shop.

The party boy was over the moon with the attention and for the first time truly enjoyed being the birthday boy. The best gift turned out to be the IRONMAN shirt and pants - I guess he is truly becoming a big boy.

Sometimes..

t's all about the moments.. Today we had some fun ones <3

my minimalistic life

If someone who read my list of 32 random things noticed, I have found a new passion :). Minimalist life. I have come to the realization, that having more does not make me happy. Having more in fact just creates trouble. More things to organize, wash, clean etc. In the modern society "having things" seems to be associated with success. Status. Definitely not with need. We all aquire things: more clothes (that probably don't fit), more kitchen stuff (just because, you know, IKEA), toys (to stay with the it thing), cars, electronics, games etc etc. The list is endless. And no I have not gone insane, but living now almost 11 months with whatever fit the luggages, has made me realize that we don't NEED so much. We will still have stuff, but only necessary ones. "minimalism is not the lack of something, it's the perfect amount of somethig". That coins it perfectly.

resolution #1, start with myself

Have you ever been on a holiday, and thought how easy it is to get dressed because everything you have fits you? or matches? So howcome we keep filling the closets with things that don't fit or match? The research says that most people use 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. My first goal is to have enough clothes to last two weeks (laundry cycle without a machine is sooo slow) but they should all fit. I've purged my closet several times, but I know there's still some stuff that "maybe will fit me if I just...". Now it is just going to be what I wear and a couple of fancy party dresses (the Tanzanian's love love love their fancy parties). Don't worry, the good thing is that there is plenty of people willing to take the clothes that I don't wear anymore off my hands, so they won't be wasted. 

I will also start my pinterest board of creating that perfect wardrobe, so I won't be swayed from my mission by some sweet sales on things that are never worn. No shopping for now. Just clearing. Then time will tell me what do I really need to add to the mix. Those moments I will save for Finland visits to buy  good quallity, or to visits to a tailor (a dress made to match costs about 7 euros here). 

How is your closet? Does the statistic apply to you?