|
|
Since my trip to Sweden last May I have been fascinated with Swedish culture. I listen to audio books in Swedish. I read Swedish authors. Fredrik Backman and Steig Larsson are two favorites. Just last Friday my family went to see A Man Called Otto which some of you may know is based on the book A Man Called Ove. Although Tom Hanks did an amazing job acting the part of an old curmudgeon, I highly recommend watching the Swedish version of the film with English subtitles. So heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
I have dabbled some with Swedish cooking and drinking. Given my heritage I come by my love of vodka and sweets quite naturally. I was practically raised with a rosette in my hand. My parents make hundreds over the holidays. These days I have given over to meals. Dump and bake recipes are my favorite these days. A quick 20-minute prep time for dinner and I’m off and running with my latest Swedish project. Death Cleaning.
Yes, you read that correctly, I am attempting a Swedish Death Cleaning of my house. I purchased the book The Complete Swedish Death Cleaning Guide: New and Effective Techniques to Organize and Declutter your Home and Life. The word in Swedish is döstädning. Most people start this at the age of 65 so I am a little early, but the general idea is to clean and declutter my home so if I die the people, I love won’t have the burden of cleaning out my house. The average home in America has more than 300,000 items. Since I’ve never really been average, and I love crafts I would say that number is closer to 600,000. Those markers and colored pencils really add up. I am committed to put an end to this mess for good. Armed with donate boxes, trash bags and a label maker I vow to organize my home using the Swedish Death cleaning method, even if it kills me. (That’s a play on words, I don’t think I will die organizing my stuff.) Now I encourage you to give this a try. Read the book. Put a hot dish in the oven and get busy. Hugs and peace to you, Sandy
“Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.” -Margareta Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
Dump and Bake Easy
Dinners:
Leave a Reply