SWEDEN

"Workout for mommies"

The next princess on the blog is Erika from SWEDEN. Erika came into my life when she met and later married my little "brother" Mattias. She is a wonderful addition to the family and last year we gained yet another family member, baby boy Axel. Erika is also a blogger, writing about being a new mom and was one of my biggest supporters when I was contemplating starting this blog. Take it away my dear "sister in law"! 

Do you have a “ritual” you do every morning to get your day off to a good start and if so can you please explain it? I once learned that you should start the day with smiling really big, even before you get out of bed and even if you are not happy. This sends a signal to the brain that you are in fact happy and then automatically you become happy. It kinda works so I am trying to remember to do that. 

What type of workout do you currently engage in? Right now I do “workouts for mommies.” We workout outside and have a great instructor who gets us going! It’s so much fun!  

If your parents utilized some techniques to promote healthy eating while you were growing up, what did those techniques look like? My mom always said “its more important THAT you eat than WHAT you eat” and that food should not be an emotionally charged subject. Okay, maybe one day we only ate potatoes, but the next day we only ate broccoli so in the end it balanced itself out. 

Any website/blog/podcast that lifts your spirit? ohhappyday.com EVERYTHING is beautiful and wonderful on this page! Not exactly focused on fitness and wellness, but doing crafts, inspiration and happiness!  

What is the most underrated veggie in your opinion? Being a Swede, I think I have to try to promote the potato! It contains a whole lot of nutrients, but it seems as if our generation does not eat potatoes! 

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote and if so, what is it? “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ― A.A. Milne. 

What is the biggest challenge in today’s society to staying fit and how can we change that? Not enough physical activity in our everyday life. More wellness and physical activity at the workplace would combat that. 

Any “ritual” you do every night to end the day on a good note, and if so what is it? Writing in a journal. But unfortunately I don't do that every night. Writing a list of positive things that happened during the day: everything from having a good lunch to a fun event and a list of things I did well. 

Thank you Erika for being a guest on the blog! And thank you so much for encouraging me to start this blog, your support was invaluable! I am excited I now live closer to you, Mattias and dearest Axel!