How to Reduce Costs of Living The start of this post was a conversation with a friend. What can we all do to combat the costs of living? Well, a lot actually. We can reduce rising living costs while still living a healthy lifestyle. You can make your electricity bill smaller and your wallet thicker with savings. The tips here are practical and you can implement them where ever you are. We all are struggling with the costs of living, food prices and petrol prices. If we can implement even imperfect actions we can reduce costs of living and actually have a happier and healthier life. Budget ..read more

I have been talking about my book-writing journey with my email list for a few months now. I wanted to write a post to explain why I am writing my Nordic Lifestyle book. When taking some podcasting courses and had a one-on-one call with my podcast coach Karly Nimmo a few years ago. She said to me, and I can still hear her words in my ears, ‘There is a book in your podcast Susanna.‘  I agreed. But until that point, I had not been able to get the book idea to materialize and actually write the book. Did I start writing the Nordic Lifestyle book that I was dreaming? No. I shelved my though ..read more

I realized that I have not written about minimalism for a while. Perhaps because I live a minimalistic life, I had no need to talk about it anymore? Or perhaps everything I had said was enough? Well not exactly. I have been busy listening to podcasts and reading blogs about minimalism. I came across Joshua Becker a while back and have been a great admirer of his work and books ever since. He was talking about minimalism life in Helen Russell Podcast How to be Sad. Helen Russell was a guest in my podcast the Nordic Mum where we talked about the same name book How to be Sad. If you did not kno ..read more

I have been following Katja Presnal on socials for a while now. Having her as a gust to my podcast was such a treat. Her journey starts in 1997 when she meets her American helicopter pilot husband and decides to move to the US to be with him. Katja has since lived in four different countries and has three adult children now and returned to Finland few years ago. While living in the US she started her eCommerce business and blog Skimbaco. This blog allowed Katja to work with big brands such as Walmart when blogging was still in its infancy. Katja is retelling her story and journey when she l ..read more

When my kids were young I was always dreaming of dressing them in colorful Scandi Kids Clothing. My family and friends send me things from Scandinavia and I was always wanting more. The Scandi kid’s clothing was more durable, colorful and better made. Your kids did not look like all the other ones. The vibrant colors made them stand out on the playground. When I came across Stephanie White and her Scandi Down Under shop I was excited. Someone else shared my love for the colorful Scandi kid’s clothing. I wanted to ask Steph about her start of the business and why she was drawn to the Scandi ..read more

I get asked lots of times what are the best books about the Nordic lifestyle? What should I read to understand the Nordic life and culture better? Well here are my recommendation of books to read. They are the best books about Nordic Lifestyle out there. They explain a lot about us people from the north and answer some of the questions you might have. I have read them in recent months. Some I have read twice. That is how good they are. These six books I have selected look into how the Nordic lifestyle is lived. There are cute pictures, recipes, and explanations of words in these books. How t ..read more

When Sari Fordham contacted me I knew this was going to be a great chat. Sari is a writer, professor, editor, and environmental activist. Her childhood was spent in Uganda and Kenya and she has since lived in Austria, South Korea, Thailand, and currently in the United States. Sari teaches creative writing at La Sierra University and she has just published her first book Wait for God to Notice. The book tells her mother’s story and Sari’s childhood in Uganda during the Idi Amin dictatorship and how Sari’s mom’s unusual childhood shaped her life. Listen in ItunesListen in SporifyListen in ..read more

There are many people worldwide, including myself, who seek out what is known as “Nordicness“. It is maybe because there seems to be something special about Nordic culture. For a number of reasons, Nordicness can also be found here in Japan. Not only the beloved Moomins, but there are many other aspects of Nordic culture loved by the Japanese. If you pay closer attention, it seems that Japan and Nordic countries have a lot in common even though we are 5000 miles away from one another. But, what Nordic things attract Japanese people? Japanese Versus Nordic Culture, so Different, and Yet so ..read more

Traveling to Sweden with kids is easiest done by renting a car, taking the train, or flying. It all depends on what destinations you are planning on visiting. If you stick with the main cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, taking the train might be the best way for you to get around. It is easy, convenient, and kind of fun for the kids. When we came over to visit Sweden from the US, especially when the kids were little. As far as transportation went, the flight was not the highlight of the trip. It was the local bus and train that was most exotic and fun for them. Sweden is a very f ..read more

It is a time for the Nordic Midsummer Celebrations. How do the Nordics celebrate and how do they differ from country to country? Well, the endless midsummer sun when the sun does not seem to go down at all is the summer solstice. The longest day of the summer was used to celebrate fertility. And it was a long-awaited celebration after winter. Summer solstice celebrations were developed originally for John the Baptist which took place 24 June. Nowadays the celebrations are around 24 June and in some countries, the days are fixed every year. History of Nordic Midsummer Celebrations  There ..read more