Just a little over a month ago, the mornings were pitch black and I would have lanterns outside burning throughout the day and night. The hours of actual daylight were quite short and it sometimes seemed like it was challenging to take pictures. By the time everything was ready the light would be gone!
Although we have crisp and cold wintery weather, spring is clearly coming. The night has become shorter and when I awake each morning the sun is shining brightly. We have to actually close our miniblinds for the night to get some sleep, this was not the case a few months ago. As I walk downstairs, the light from the large windows softly highlight the tulips on the table. For me they are a symbol of spring and the promise of lengthening days.
Enjoying a latté in the quiet of the house is the perfect way to start a weekend morning. Everything is still and serene. Step outside to get the newspaper and the birds are singing. They have been quiet all winter. And if we got our weekly clean-up done, everything might be neat and tidy for a few hours. It pays to wake up early and enjoy the clean house while it lasts.
One by one they awake and make their way downstairs to find breakfast and a morning hug.
Smoothies (for two)
Gluten free
1 banana
3 dl/1.3 c plain yoghurt
2 dl/0.8 c berries of your choice (raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, blackberries or strawberries)
a little honey
If you prefer add a handful of spinach, or a tablespoon or ground flax seed or wheat germ to the mix.
Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
Fruitie (for two)
This recipe is both gluten and dairy free.
1 banana
1,5 dl/0.6 c orange juice
fruit (choose one of the following: 1 pealed and sliced pear, 10 slices of canned mango, 1 peach pealed and sliced, 6 large pieces of pineapple or 10 balls of honey dew or cantaloupe melon)
Blend until smooth and enjoy immediately. Canned fruit can be substituted if fresh is not on hand.
tableofcolors 
That is a lovely description of your early morning. It is so good to enjoy those moments of calm ( and a clean house is very calming). I think your smoothies count as hugs all by themselves.
Yes, a clean house is very therapeutic! Thank you for your kind comment!
Your little one is adorable. We have smoothies almost every morning so always looking for some new combinations and your colorful trio looks delicious .
Thank you Bam! They grow so quickly, this photo is not real recent but it was perfect for the post!
What a lovely post, it’s wonderful seeing the signs of spring and extended daylight is a happy sign that spring will be with us very soon. I love smoothies and start my day with one almost every day. The colors are just beautiful and knowing you are doing your body good is an added perk.
Thank you so much! Smoothies are a wonderful superfood! We occassionally have them for an evening snack and it is the perfect way to use up all of the blueberries that we picked last summer!
Great smoothie recipe! And I love tulips! They are one of my favorite flowers and as you said, always come with the promise of spring!
Kenley
Thank you Kenley! Tulips are amongst my favorite flowers too!
Although a few of the details may vary, I think you painted a picture of the type of morning mothers around the world experience. Seeing your Li’L One, in a high chair, with what looks like Cheerios, confirms it. Thanks for the peek into your home.
Yes, I’m sure that there are some very universal traits that we share. The sleepy children and morning hugs are certainly experienced world wide.
How many hours a day you had a daylight? I can’t imagine to live on north because of that. Ok I could in summer time 🙂 Tulips are divine, little one too cute! Smoothie is always a good start of any day 😉
We have the pleasure of having about six hours of daylight in the middle of winter. But usually the days with sunlight are limited, so if the sun decides to come out and the schedule permits…I drop what I am doing at the moment and go outside! In the very northern part of Finland, the sun does not rise between the 25th of November-17th of January.
I read about that before but had no idea how is it work for real life. Here is the shortest day almost 9 hours long and together with rare sunny days I am out of the energy already 🙂 How do you deal with that? Or even those who lives more on the north? I just can’t imagine there is even no day light for couple weeks…
I do notice the need for more sleep and it is harder to get up in the mornings. Candles, the fireplace, soft holiday lights, fresh air and exercise help bring a coziness to the darkness. Many have a “bright light” at home and it is supposed to be the most effective if used in the morning. Each year as the darkest part of the year arrives I think about buying one…but haven’t yet! Maybe next year!
The picture of the tulip is lovely. It looks like a painting.
Thank you so much!
Great photos. This looks lovely. The colors are really nice also!
Thank you so much for your nice comment! I appreciate it!
I love the colors of the smoothies and my wife will love the tulips. What a lovely post.
Glad that there is something for both of you! 🙂
Oh yeah, closing all the blinds as good as possible to get some sleep – I know what you mean. But isn’t it actually making us who live up north really happy that it’s getting sunny already in the morning? Life feels so much lighter and easier… However, I started sewing sleeping masks and selling them in my shop – and can only recommend using them, it’s my new bedtime accessory 😉
Yes, I love the light! And I have noticed that I don’t need as much sleep to feel energetic. I’ll have to go check out your sleep masks 🙂
Yeah, you’re very welcome to check them out! Right now there’s only one in my online store but I’m gonna sew some more the coming week – I’ll let you know! 🙂
As much as I love winter, I eventually look forward to the longer days. And tulips. Love your photos ~ thank you for sharing.
I do too Kathleen. We are having a very cold spring so far this year. Hope that when it decides to warm it, it will REALLY warm up! 🙂
Beautiful writing and I love the tulips! The smoothies look delicious and I love their colours!!
Thank you so much Judy! The smoothies bring spring into the house. We are having the coldest March in 50 years…night time temps are around -10 – -11F. The days are bright and sunny and quite a bit warmer.
Lovely tulips and smoothies!!! Here’s to spring!
🙂
I looooooooooooove smotthies! Thanks for the recipes 🙂
I do too! 🙂
That shot of the tulips just did me in. So. Beautiful. Lovely! I love smoothies, have on every blessed morning for breakfast. How do you got that perfect pure yellow color for your smoothie? Gorgeous smoothie pix!
Thank you, you are so kind! The yellow smoothie is the fruitie and contains no dairy giving it the bright yellow color.