Activities – Blue Moment

Day 248: Winding Down

October 29, 2026October 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Asikkala, Fall, Family, Outdoors, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Fall, family, Finland, Outdoors, Summer CottageLeave a comment

When I was a small child, our summer cottage (with no electricity or inside plumbing) was not suitable winter use. We would come for a day (or more) in autumn to rake the leaves and close everything up for winter.

I mostly remember having hot chocolate and sandwitches in the sauna steps with my brother, while the adults did… whatever adults do in these situations. We would spend the night at my grandmother’s house in a nearby town.

Now we can stay overnight and cook proper meals in a warm kitchen.

The girls spend time on the shore, doing many of the same things I did with my brother.

Unfortunately, I am now the adult doing whatever adults do…

Luckily, that is not too much.

Day 240: More Mushrooms

October 19, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Cooking, Espoo, Fall, Makro, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Espoo, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

I went mushrooming on my own. Major feat. Actually bringing home almost 10l was an even bigger feat.

Good mushroom spots seem to be big secrets, shared only with the closest family. Asking experts (or anyone who regularly picks mushrooms) where to go is almost sacrilege. You either get a very vague answer, or they tell you outright they only go to their family spot. Even internet forums come up empty.

Having no family who go mushrooming – especially not in Espoo – I was on my own. I used AI to identify a right type of forest. And went in blind.

The first hour was pretty desperate… Not helped by the fact that it had been windy, so the forest floor was covered in fallen leaves – each exactly the same shade as the mushrooms I was looking for.

But then I found them. And the best thing is that where you find one, you are bound to find another.

I marked the spot.

Day 234: Chores

October 13, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Everyday objects, Family, Home, Kiara, StuartTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Everyday objects, family, Home, Kiara, Learning, StuartLeave a comment

It’s a guaranteed rabbit hole in any conversation with fellow parents: how many chores should kids do?

We are still at a pretty basic level. We expect the girls to clean up after themselves: to tidy their rooms (and whatever else they have scattered around the house), take their plates away, put their laundry in the basket and clean up the kitchen after making their own snacks or breakfasts.

For bigger jobs, such as raking leaves or cleaning up the garden, we expect them to pitch in for a few hours.

I think the girls are soon ready to take on more responsibility around the house. In fact, we’d probably have insisted on it already, if getting them to do their chores weren’t such an enormous chore for Stuart and me.

Day 227: ‘Shrooming

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Fall, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, WildlifeTagged 365 Project, Activities, Fall, Finland, Food, Learning, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

Everyman’s rights are a fantastic concept, recognised throughout the Nordics. They allow anyone to walk, camp or gather berries and mushrooms in forests – no matter who owns the land.

Picking mushrooms is therefore all the rage among us middle-aged Finns.

In all seriosness, I have been interested in mushrooming for a long time. But it is not something you should attempt if you are totally clueless.

Out of the approx 400 species of mushrooms in Finland, only 5-6 can kill you. Another 50 or so just make you sick. However, those are not odds I am willing to gamble on. Especially as only about 30 actually taste good.

So, I took a course. Six hours with a very competent teacher in a sunny forest.

Now I believe I can confidently recognize five edible ones.

Day 225: Kids Comic Book Fair

October 5, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Helsinki, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Helsinki, KiaraLeave a comment

There was a kids’ comic book fair in Helsinki today. If not for a friend who sent us a note, we never would’ve known about it. And unfortunately, based on how few people there were, not everyone has such a clued-up friend.

I often wonder how much cool stuff we miss, just because we never see the ads.

But we made it to this one. The best activity was designing their own characters for a comic graveyard. Alanna’s two-tailed cat zombie laughed out loud while scaring others and swinging. Kiara’s 10,000-year-old worm was actually not dead. He was too stubborn to die – but liked hanging out with the dead. But then again, he was bad at math, so who knows how old he really was…

Now we wait to see if either of these characters makes the cut for the actual comic book.

Day 218: Comics and Animation

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, AlannaTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Black&White, Home, LearningLeave a comment

Alanna started a comic school this fall. She is beyond excited. Comics are her obsession. And more than just reading them, they are also her preferred way of expressing herself. Alanna has a very observant drawing style, and she tells a story with every image she draws.

The course also goes through the basics of animation. This has been a totally new discovery for Alanna, and it has been interesting to see how she has already learned to adjust her drawing style. Her animations are – by necessity – much simpler than her other drawings.

Where are the beginner comic book courses for adults?

Day 217: Puzzling

September 27, 2026September 27, 2026Posted in 365 ProjectTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Black&White, Everyday objects, KiaraLeave a comment

I am old enough to admit I love puzzles. I always have. According to my mum, I loved them so much as a 2-year-old that my nursery teachers got worried.

The problem is that when I start one, I get totally obsessed. For two days (sometimes three, if it is during the work week), my fingers constantly itch to get back to it.

Until it’s done, and I am left wanting to start a new one (and resisting because… well… I have a life).

The girls see this and want to be involved. Alanna sits next to me and tells me the story of every character, flower and house in the puzzle. Kiara sits across the table and obsesses over her own puzzles.

Day 213: Little Gardener

September 23, 2026September 24, 2026Posted in 365 ProjectTagged 365 Project, Activities, Home, Kiara, NatureLeave a comment

Possessing a love for flowers and no green thumb can be… aggravating. Especially in Finland where the season for natural flowers is short.

Occassionally, I give it another go.

Kiara helped me pot some Erikas. A special favourite of mine – for obvious reasons.

Day 212: Soukka Day

September 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Fall, KiaraLeave a comment

Finns are not very good at building neighborhood communities. In general, Finns are not very good at casual socializing. Having lived in our current house for five years, only now – through Scouts – have I realized there is actually any community activity at all.

So today was a Soukka Neighborhood Day. The girls participated in a Scouts skill trail, which rewarded participants with a free crepe and jam.

Grassroots participation.