Le bonhomme du neige – the good man of snow – is the french expression for snowman. And who does not like snowmen? Shoveling snow might not be our favorite pastime, but making snowmen is fun, creative and brings us outside. After the snowman has been adorned with a broom, stick arms, a carrot nose, a scarf and a hat, we dry our mittens and enjoy some hot cocoa or cider while we let our rosy cheeks fade away.
The Good Man of Snow Read More »
Hello IKEA,
There are two types of expat Swedes: those that live near an IKEA and those that don’t. For us that live close, IKEA helps us stay Swedish—but that will soon change. Many of us grew up with Billy bookshelves or the Poäng armchair and we go shopping for furniture and clever things for our homes. However, the main attraction is the little food store after the checkout and that one brings us back often. Our IKEA trips get scheduled when our freezer is out of meatballs, when we need Ahlgren’s bilar (yummy gummy cars) for Saturday candy, when the kids request Ballerina cookies for their birthday parties or when the cravings for Marabou chocolate bars overwhelm us. I have lost count of all the times I’ve given away a box of Paradis chocolate as an inexpensive but special thank-you gift.
It’s not just that Ballerina, Singoalla, Marabou, Abba’s herring, etc. taste good. Moving overseas is a BIG change in one’s life and eating food that taste exactly like the food we grew up with is very comforting and brings back memories. I’d also like that to be part of my kids’ memories. Every time I eat Brago cookies, I think of my mom’s story how she and her sister shared a roll on Saturdays while they were college students. That was in the late 50’s and because the cookies still taste the same, they bring stories and memories. We can buy food anywhere in America, but foods that carry a greeting from “the old country” and our families is harder to find.
There are rumors about a decision within IKEA-US to replace all classic Swedish food with IKEA’s own brand. I hope that you realize that that you will loose quite a bit of your Swedishness! Seriously!!! Your meatballs, and gravy are great (after we moved here and served our American friends your meatballs, IKEA meatballs have become a staple in their freezer as well. And they have picked up some pieces of furniture while they were in your store anyway…) !
However, when it comes to chocolate, I prefer Marabou, Lindt or Ritter Sport (I’ve lived in Germany and Switzerland too) and the latter two I can easily get at Target, so I’ll go there instead. I haven’t yet figured out what I will do without the Ballerina and Singoalla cookies. Whatever you come up with to replace them, no matter how good they taste, they won’t carry any greetings from my childhood.
I know you can’t make your stores go around on Swedish expats only, but we do bring you repeat business and new customers, so please don’t let us down! Please reconsider your decision—and if you change your mind, add Brago cookies to the must-haves!
Elisabeth
Where Are My Cookies? Read More »
Love is red, sometimes pink, but what color is peace?
We all know that a peace dove is white. Some say that peace is yellow. The forth advent candle, representing peace, is often purple. Love and peace go together, so if love is red or pink, so must peace. A healthy nature and Mother Earth is related to peace, so for some, peace is green. Others say that peace is as infinite as the sky and the ocean, so it must be blue. How about turquoise?
☮️ What Color is Peace? Read More »
Scroll down for an 2021 update.
At funflector.com, we pride ourselves with original content for what we do. Within the funflector team, we write our own texts, create our own designs and make our own photos and graphics. It takes a network of genuine professionals, plenty of creativity and effort, but we believe that is the right thing to do. Of course, there are a few things that others have done so brilliantly, that there is no way we could come up with our own.
About Original Content… Read More »
While living in Geneva, Switzerland for a couple of years after college, I was introduced to American Thanksgiving dinners – and to the term “leftovers.” Thanksgiving was celebrated at a friend’s house. Typically, we had a couple of turkeys, a mop bucket (new) of mashed potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, a large number of pumpkin pies and some local food, like baguettes, to feed the 40 something guests. The house was packed but who cared as long as all the hungry grad students got fed and we all had a good time. The next day, a couple of us would go back around lunch time, help cleaning up and sit down for a relaxed lunch of leftovers. Same food, but a very different atmosphere.
That’s about how I feel about the continuation of our first blogaversery that I promised a couple of weeks ago, but I will keep my promise, so here are some short comments on some of last year’s blog posts.
Halloween and stocking-stuffer seasons are by far our busiest. That’s the time of year when there is a lot of darkness and people are concerned about being seen in traffic at night. However, without the darkness, many Scandinavian pre-Christmas traditions would not exist. The blog post “Lovely Darkness” cherish the Swedish Lucia tradition, but also lists when it gets dark in different North American cities that night (December 13th). Check it out and compare to your schedule. How many nights a week are you on your way home from work or have other activities going on after sunset?
Holiday guides are popular and abundant in November and early December. There will be new ones available in just a couple of months with all the hottest trends, so let’s leave that for now.
Early March, I was sooo ready for real spring! (Who in Chicago isn’t?) While I was typing along on a blog post about it, I was blessed with a headline popping up on my facebook wall: “Uninstalling Winter“. Little did I expect that it was such a common search term, even in July. I hope whoever found this blog that way got a fun break from their difficulties to uninstall winter software!
During summer, we wrote how important it is to have reflectors (and lights) on bikes and a helmet on your head. I hope the person who asked google “do i need to leave reflectors on a new bike” figured out that it’s indeed a very good idea to leave them on!
In June, Swedish American Mamma asked why pedestrian safety reflectors are so Scandinavian/Swedish and when digging a bit, it turned out to be a lot more to it than “It is darker over there in the winter”. You can read about it here.
Now, we are back to when new back-to-school backpacks need to be personalized to go home with the right kid (and the nights come noticeably earlier every week) so I’m off to pack and ship to some of our old and new wholesale customers!
So long,
Elisabeth
Time is going fast when life is fun! I can’t believe an entire year has passed since we launched the funflector Blog, but it has. Let’s celebrate our first blogiversary with some thoughts on our posts!
The purpose of the blog was – and still is – three fold:
– to make it easy for the funflector team to get out news about our safety reflectors and traffic safety
– personal reflections on the world around us
– tell the world about neat stuff that is out there on the market. As a small and new business owner, it takes a huge effort to cut through the noise and let the world know about your products. When we find stuff we like from other small businesses, we are happy to help spread the word!
We know how hard it is to find reflectors for personal use in North America – after all, that’s why we launched the funflector® safety reflectors. However,
…First funflector Blogiversary! Read More »
We love to hang funflector® safety reflectors on our bikes! We have shamrock reflectors to show off our Irish heritage (or just to ask for that extra luck that’s needed when drivers are busy texting), heart reflectors to show the world that we love our bike rides and baseball reflectors for our Cubs fans (we do have some of those around here). We still need bike lights though!
The funflector safety reflectors are on the bike for fun and under the heading “the more the merrier-” every reflector increases the chances of getting home safely at night. However, bikes are normally moving faster than pedestrians, so bicyclists need stronger reflectors than pedestrians. Also, in many states, you need a red rear reflector and bike LIGHTS to be a law abiding bicyclist.
The other night, I approached an intersection and a bicyclist was crossing. The spinning wheel reflectors were the first thing we saw of him or her. It’s quite spectacular and hard to miss! And boy, did I use that opportunity to give my kids another lesson on reflectors! So many times,
I’ve been surprised while driving by totally dark bicyclists—dark cloths, dark bikes, neither lights nor reflectors. I think I would use lights and reflectors even if they were illegal, just to do everything possible to come home safely.
Anyway, when we talked with George Garner abut bike helmets at George Garner Cyclery last month, we also used the opportunity to check out his bike lights and other night time safety products, so here is “Advice from a pro, Part 2” :
Every bike that leaves the cyclery, has a set of reflectors, which include:
– white front facing reflector
– red rear facing reflector
– wheel reflectors
– pedal reflectors, facing both front and back
These reflectors are usually hard prismatic reflectors that withstand the elements well. If your bike is missing these, they are easy and inexpensive to replace.
In addition to reflectors, you need lights, front and rear, when biking in the dark. Which lights to choose depends on where you go and how fast you ride. Is it enough for drivers to see you or do you need lights to light up your path? Most lights use LED’s as they make the battery last for up to 100 hours of run time. Prices range from $35 to $65 for a set of front and back lights that are sufficient for most bicyclists. For the avid off road biker, powerful lights with rechargeable battery systems are available on special order.
So, now you are all set with a well fitted helmet, reflectors and lights. Go and check your brakes (seriously!) and you are ready to cruise along into the summer nights.
Have a fun and safe ride!
Elisabeth
Favorite Places to Put Fun Safety Reflectors 4 – on My Bike Read More »
As many Swedish Americans, we are super busy celebrating our holidays, Midsummer last weekend and Independence Day this weekend. A belated “Glad Midsommar” and Happy 4th! It can’t be stressed enough: the DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER AGAIN! Inspired by all the good Scandinavian safety reflectors have done for decades, we’ll keep reminding you.
Are you heading for festivals, amusement parks, evening concerts in the park, block parties, beach parties…? Temporary parking lots are often dark and not so well organized. A safety reflector or two will make you much more visible! Order yours from our web shop, as always with free shipping!
Why are pedestrian safety reflectors so Scandinavian? This is a question I recently got from a fellow blogger, the Swedish American Mamma. Just don’t think he answer is as easy as “it is darker over there in the winter”. (After all, if you leave your office at 5 or 5.30, it doesn’t matter if the sun sets at 3.30 or at 5 pm. Even in America, it is dark after the sun sets…)
Please head over to the Swedish American Mamma (or the repost on our blog) and read more about why Swedes are so excited about their cool, fun, colorful Scandinavian safety reflectors!
Elisabeth
Why Are Reflectors so Scandinavian? Read More »
The modern movement has little to do with fashion. Last week, the Chicago chapter of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce (SACC-Chicago) gathered at HAUTE LIVING, a furniture showroom in downtown Chicago. Åke Jansson, president of Lammhults Möbel AB, Sweden and Jeffery Smith, founder and owner of HAUTE LIVING talked about modern furniture and Scandinavian design.
The spacious, contemporary showroom displayed carefully selected European classic pieces along with new design from both Europe and the US. The abundance of thoughtful design, solid wood and absence of ornamentation, made many of us native Swedes feel right at home.
…Good Design Here and There Read More »
This post is all about a yummy Swedish-German dish related to both pancakes and bread pudding (and not at all about the islands off the northern coast of New Zealand.) In my house, we serve both American and Swedish pancakes, but when there is too little time for those, we turn to “Poor Knights.” They are white bread dipped in Swedish pancake batter and then fried. The recipe is easy and they don’t need to be on the stove for very long. We follow the Swedish tradition and serve them as a substantial dessert after a bowl of soup.
This is what you need for 4-6 people:
4 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
24 oz white bread (e.g. country buttermilk), not too fresh
1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Butter for frying pan/griddle.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl (wide enough to hold a slice of bread).
Add 1/2 the milk and mix.
Add flour and beat until smooth.
Mix in remaining milk, salt and cinnamon.
Soak a slice of bread, lift it up with a spatula and put in heated and buttered griddle/frying pan. Use medium heat and fry them golden brown on both sides. Serve warm with apple sauce.
The American relative of “Poor Knight” is French Toast, but “Poor Knights” have flour added to the milk-and-egg batter. Variations on this are common all over the world and a good way to make a tasty dessert from stale bread. The odd name has triggered many interesting discussions around our kitchen table as to why the poor “kniggets” were so poor. What comes to your mind?
Elisabeth
Poor Knights on a Plate Read More »
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