picked this baby up....

.... for our Finnish home today.  We saw it on our way out of the store and couldn't resist!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to my fellow Americans!  Have a fun and safe weekend, and don't forget to remember and thank our fallen heros! ♥

moi moi finland, hello america

Well... for those of you who don't know, the team lost in game 7 of the quarterfinals on Monday night, putting and end to their season.  It was a little earlier than hoped and it was too bad they couldn't pull out a win and keep going.  But, on the bright side....

WE'RE COMING HOME TO THE U.S. of A.!!!

(nope, no excitement in that or anything... not one bit ;) )

I wish it was as simple as heading to the airport and jumping on the next flight, but unfortunately, it's not.  Stuff has to be packed up and moved to the rink for storage.  The apartment needs to be cleaned out.  Laundry has to be done.  Our car needs to be returned.  Maddie needs to go to the vet to get her papers for back home (this is about the only thing we have completely done so far... haha).  Keys to our apartment, cell phone cards, TV card, have to be returned to their proper owners.  Hubs has team meetings.  Planning a time to see our friends here before we take off.  Tickets have to be booked (...minor detail).  All of that wonderful, fun stuff that is even more fun and wonderful when it stands in the way of getting home!

I despise packing and moving (someone remind me again why I picked a lifestyle that requires I do this twice a year again?  oh, that's right, a cute boy brainwashed me into thinking it'd be fun ;) )  but I'm keeping my eye on the prize:  4 wonderful summer months spent at home, with family and friends, eating all of my lovely American foods, trips to Target whenever I feel like it, drying the laundry in a ¡dryer!, driving a car (warning to those of you I will be sharing the roads with back home: this girl hasn't driven in 7 months!) buying milk by the gallon so we don't have to go to the store every. single. day.  Don't get me wrong, I like Finland a lot, and I'm sure come July I will be more than excited to get back.  But no matter where you're from, I think we all can agree.... There's no place like home!

We don't have an offical date of arrival set yet, but it will more than likely be sometime this weekend or early next week.  The hubs is acutally at the rink right now for meetings and figuring all that good stuff out and we hope to have our flights booked by tonight.  I know I kept talking about our European trip we were going to take at the end of the season, but, for several reasons, it's just going to have to wait :)  We may decide to take a trip somewhere warm once we get back, but we'll see how we're feeling.  Right now we need to just focus on getting home first. 

So, off I go to continue packing and cleaning.  I'm still waiting for my personal assistant to come and help me.... but she just never seems to show?  Not sure what's up with that ;) 

Moi Moi Finland, see you in 4 months :)

Hello America, can't wait to see you!!

game 1 down, game 2 tonight!

A quick update for family & friends (and anyone else who was curious):  The team won their first playoff game last night 1-0.  Since it was an "away" game (even though the arena is right next door) I did not go.  The game was sold out, not many (if any) of the other wives & girlfriends go to away games, and I figured one night this weekend was enough hockey for me :)  

Game 2 is tonight at home and it looks like this one is sold out too (13,500 seats... that's pretty big for over here!)  I'm sure it will be a rowdy and intense atmosphere, since it is playoffs, sold out, and against their biggest rival team..... and seeing as it's Saturday, and boy these Finns can DRINK!!   Looking forward to a fun night of hockey, hopefully the boys can pull off another W :)   For those of you who aren't aware, you can check the live updates of the game here (I even already google-translated for ya, beware though... some of the names/penalties etc. translate pretty strange!)

Check back soon for more updates and some new (hopefully more interesting- sorry, my life's just not that exciting right now!) posts :)

new camera... woo hoo!

We've been in need of a new camera around here for a while now.  The plan was to wait until we got home for the summer since everything is much cheaper there than it is in Finland.  But... we caved and got one here.  Between some frustrating camera experiences lately (the Winter Classic, Stockholm trip... among others) and the fact that not getting it until we got home meant that we wouldn't have a good camera to use for our EuroTrip, we decided that it was worth the little bit extra that we'd spend on it here.  Plus we know it will be a great investment for the future, with all of the traveling we will be doing and for when we have children :)

We had a fairly good idea of what we wanted (a Nikon) and have several friends who have various cameras in the Nikon SLR series... so we price shopped around a couple places and bought one the same day.  The same place that had it on sale also had it with the dual-lens set, which is almost always cheaper than buying the 2nd lens separate.  The biggest challenge was asking questions about it- most sales people do speak English, some better than others... but aren't always ready and willing to explain the whole camera and it's features to us (understandable... I don't exactly have my Finnish camera terms down either!)  But, we got really lucky, and the guy we asked to help us was from the UK.  SCORE!  We picked his brain for a while and ended up taking home the Nikon D3100.  The manual, on the other hand... is in Finnish.  Thank goodness for the PDF file on the website (what would we do without technology these days... seriously?!)

After taking many pointless pictures around the apartment, of the dog, the half dead flowers on the table.... I decided to take it to the game Thursday night to give 'er a try and test my skills.  I can't tell you how much fun I had taking all of the pictures and editing them on the computer.  Looks like I may have found another new hobby!! :)

Here are some of the pictures I took.  I'm pretty proud of how my first sets came out considering I barely knew how to turn the thing on 5 days ago! ;)




Helsinki Cathedral




Senate Square in Helsinki




A row of colorful apartments on a street in Helsinki




View of the sun setting over the Baltic Sea
along the Helsinki coastline




Our precious pooch, Maddie




The hubs at work




Who knew I was a sports photographer?




Lots of cool action shots




#2 in your program, #1 in my heart <3



I'm back / finnish friday newsflash

I know it's been a little while, but I'm back in action!  I have been sick this entire week so far and haven't even had the energy to get off the couch, much less write a blog entry :(  I haven't left the apartment since J's game on Tuesday, which I clearly shouldn't have gone to either, since I was miserable the entire game.  Such a dedicated wifey I am, though! :)  Other than that my days have been filled with rest, homemade chicken noodle soup and watching 2 1/2 enitre seasons of my Newlyweds DVD's (for the 50th time... I have an extremely unhealthy obsesssion with Nick & Jessica, but that is a whole other blog post....)

Today's order of business?  My "Finnish" Friday Newsflash!   I mentioned that I decided to join in on this while visiting Marian's blog Escaping the Single Life, and since then I have been able to check out the blog where it all started- Poodleism by Casey.  I think I'll participate this week, but I'll have to see where it goes from there.  There isn't much in the way of news around here as it is (at least the "super-interesting" juicy gossip news- ha) so between that and the language barrier (my friend google translate really leaves me hangin with this Finnish stuff...), this wasn't an easy task.  What's a girl gotta do for some news in English around here? 

Anyway, here it goes.  Hopefully you find something interesting out of this, or at least learn something new :)

more "serious" stuff....

1) U.S. President Obama’s school reform seeks impetus from Finland. 

I thought some of you may find this one interesting seeing as it involves the U.S., and it definitely caught my eye from my "educator" perspective.  A research group has been sent to Finland from the U.S. to observe and learn from the Finnish school system.  As we all know, there is a lot wrong with education in the U.S. nowadays, so let's hope we can follow more in the footsteps of our Finnish friends.  They seem to have it all figured out! ;)  (Maybe this means we need to stay in Finland and raise our future children here?  Kidding, parents! ;) )

2) Snow removal can be a wild wild business. 

I had to add this one because I see these guys every day and think of how unsafe it is.  In Finland, they have men up on the rooftops of buildings clearing the snow off almost every day.  It does aid in the safety of others- once it gets a little warmer and the snow melts, it can slide off the building and fall onto people (though, if you scroll down in the article, you will see that this has already happened this year...)  BUT- is it really safe to have these men up on the icy, snowy roofs all the time?  I sure as heck wouldn't do it for 15 euros an hour!

3) Parliament Slams Anti-Begging Law.

Finland has a great social security & health care system (that I can proudly say the hubs and I are now entitled to be a part of, thanks to our contract extension!)  that takes wondeful care of people who have lost their jobs, homes, etc.  They are given a place to live and recieve great unemployment benefits.  So why are there beggars on the streets, you ask?  Because apparently they come here from other countries to try and take advantage of the Finns' generocity.  They come, beg on the streets and outside of stores in Helsinki, and (supposedly) head back at the end of their 90 days.  Now, I fully understand that not everyone is as fortunate as we are, and there may be terrible things going on in their country, but I do see where the Finns are coming from also- they have worked hard to create a great system to keep people off of the streets.


strange stuff...

1) Crazy Russains drive with the top down 

This speaks for itself.  Top down in a sleet storm in January?  One things for sure- you can bet they weren't smiling! (but, how is this a news story?)




2) Man orders McDonalds naked  Sorry ladies (and gentlemen), there's no picture to go with this one.  I think what I find more amusing about this article is the way it is translated in Google.  "Wanted to Hamburger Naked" and "the sock man could not be reached".  Either this guy has some serious issues, or he lost a huge bet.

3) "Even the Russians Wouldn't Do This"....... or would they? 

Apparently this video has been circulating around the web and has created a huge stir over whether or not it is a real baby, and if it is, how ridiculously unsafe it is to be swinging it around like this!  What are these people, nuts?  Apparently it is some sort of "Russian Baby Yoga" that involves swinging 2 week old babies around like they're a rag doll.  I'm not sure what I think about it being real or not, but I'll just pray that it's not.  Get a clue, people!


Okay, that's all I've got for today.  I hope you enjoyed it (even if you're one to prefer hearing about a Lifetime movie about William & Kate or that Miley was voted "worst celebrity influence" 2 years in a row!)  despite it being fairly dry material.  Guess that speaks for itself!

Happy Friday!

moving to europe with your dog

When I started this blog, I knew I wanted to include some information and tips on moving to Europe, whether it be hockey related or not.  I will post my experiences and tips for packing, what to bring, what to do when you get there, and all that good stuff another day.  Since it's that time of year when new contracts in Europe start to arise for next season and the moving process with your dog can take quite a while, I figured now would be a good time to focus on:

Moving to Europe with your Dog

When I first found out that Europe would even be a possibility for this hockey season, one of my first questions was "how the heck do I move a dog to Europe?!"  It may sound simple, but it is actually kind of a pain in the butt (some countries are worse than others, ie: UK and Sweden!).  But, if you're like us, leaving your precious pooch behind is simply not an option.  Plus, who better to keep you company when you're over here?  It's definitely worth the (mild) headache, and hopefully this post will help make your process a lot smoother (and a LOT less confusing than it was for me!)  Depending on what country you are moving to and what vaccinations your dog already has, it may take a month or two or it could take several months or longer.  Be sure and plan ahead!

Thanks to my friends Google and Google Translate, our wonderful Vet at home, and some tips from fellow hockey wives, I managed to get all of the shots, paperwork, microchip, checkups, plane tickets, etc. done.  I think the most confusing part of it all was that the regulations are different for different countries.  Luckily, it is the same throughout most of Europe, so this post should help most of you out (thank goodness for the EU!)

Now, our dog, Maddie, is a Maltese/Poodle/Bichon mix, and weighs 10 lbs (or 4.5 kg in the land of Europe!)  so she traveled with me in the cabin under the seat. 

Depending on the size of your dog, you may or may not be able to do this also.  The regulations vary by airline, but for the most part the maximum weight for in-cabin travel is about 15 lbs (~7 kg, including the carrier), though in my opinion, a dog much bigger than Maddie might be too big for the carrier (which, of course, has size restrictions as well).   Anything over these limits requires travel as cargo.  The vet/vaccination/paperwork process should still be the same, but the plane ticket/crate process will be a bit different.  (note: this information is for travel from the U.S. to Europe.  If you're traveling from Canada or another country, some of the steps and requirements may be different)

Anyway, here is your "to-do" list to prep your pup for the trip across the pond:

- Research. Find as much information as possible on importing a dog to the country you are moving to.  Beware: just because Google takes you to a website, does not mean it's legit.  Obviously most of you are fully aware, but I found a lot of conflicting information out there, and by the time I separated the legitimate information from the illegitimate, I had wasted a lot of precious time.  Try searching for the local government food & agriculture website (their version of the USDA , which should have information about the importation of pets to their country).   In Finland it is called Evira.  Also, go to the USDA APHIS travel website, scroll down to where it says "List of Countries".  Find the country you are moving to and you should be linked to their pet import requirements  (note: you will later have to get an export stamp on your vet health certificate from the USDA APHIS office within a few days of your travel.  They use this list of requirements to check things off, so don't forget any of them!  They won't stamp your papers otherwise) .  Also, make sure your veterinarian is an approved vet (you can find a list of USDA Accredited Veterinarians on the USDA website link above) because all of the vaccines, treaments, and certificates must be filled out and signed by an approved vet only.  My recommendation is to find a vet who has lots of experience preparing dogs for travel to other countries.  Our home vet does, and it made the whole process a lot easier and a lot less stressful for both me and her. 


- Rabies/Titer Testing.  If the country you are moving to is considered "rabies-free" (hint: Sweden and the UK are the two main ones I can think of in Europe) you will need to have a rabies/titer test done well in advance of your travel.  You must do this or your dog will be quarantined upon your arrival!  The rabies titer test is done to ensure that your dog's rabies vaccinations have provided them with enough rabies antibodies for travel (ie: they want proof that your dog won't be spreading rabies into their "rabies-free" country).  Your vet will take a sample from your dog and send it to an EU Approved lab.  This must be done no less than 30 days after the rabies vaccination (given once the 15-digit chip is in place, as stated below) and at least 3 months (may differ in some countries) prior to importation.  If your dog does not "pass" the test, he or she will need another rabies vaccination.


- Vaccinations/Treatments.  I assume you all take your dog in for his/her annual checkup and shots, so this shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary.  The biggest one here is the rabies vaccination (there are certain standards for the type of shot, make sure you check with your vet to determine that it meets these standards).  Since you are coming from a country with low-incidence of rabies (both U.S. and Canada are considered this) your dog will not need to have the Rabies/Titer test done (unless the country you are moving to is "rabies-free" and requires it).  The requirement here is that your pooch needs to be given the vaccine at least 21 days prior to importation (this doesn't always apply to booster vaccines, but your health certificate must state the prior vaccine also).  The rabies vaccine must also be given after the 15-digit microchip is in place (I state it in the next section also, but this is an important one!) and the Rabies Vaccination Certificate (you should get one of these along with the rabies tag each time your dog has gotten/gets a rabies shot) must be signed and state the last day the vaccination is valid.

As far as other vaccines go, rabies was the only one we were required to have, but Maddie got her annual Bordatella (kennel cough- usually required for boarding and grooming) and Lyme disease vaccinations.  Not only is it important to us for her to have these, but I think it is important to have them on your certificates and paperwork to show that you take your dog's health very seriously.

Some countries, Finland included, require treatment againts echinococcosis tapeworms.  This needs to be done within 30 days of traveling.  It is just a little treat-like pill that they chew up and swallow, but must be given by the vet (and, once again, included on that health certificate signed by the vet!)


- Microchip.  Europe uses 15-digit micro chips for pet identification (conforming to ISO Standard 11784), and all dogs must have one.  Maddie had one put in her when she was a puppy, but it was a 10-digit one (of course we Americans have to have our own different way of doing it, it'd be too easy for them all to be the same!)  so she had to get another one.  We use the Home Again chip and like it.  There's one tiny catch with this one though:  your dog has to have her rabies vaccination after the chip is in place.  Our vet literally did them one right after another, which is perfectly ok, they just have to be done in that order.  So, even if your dog technically isn't due for another rabies shot yet, he/she may have to get another one if she has to get a new 15-digit chip (which was our case).


- Booking Plane Tickets.  This is where the huge headache came in for us.  Since the team was booking our flight, we had to relay all of the information on how to book a pet to them.  Between that and the language barrier, I'm amazed that it all worked out smoothly.  I can honestly say this was the most stressful part of our move (for me at least, lucky hubby was already in Finland!) 

They certainly don't make it easy to book a dog on your flight with you.  Airlines usually charge more for booking reservations over the phone, so it's recommended to do it online.  However, there is no way to make your "pet reservation" online, and most have a limit as to how many pets can be on board at one time.  So, every time we have traveled with Maddie, we have to scope out the ticket that we want, call the airline and say "okay, we're going to book "x" flight # on "x" day, and want to travel with an in-cabin pet.  Is there enough room for her on that/those flight(s)?"  If there is, then we go online, book it quick, and call the airline right back to make the pet reservation so we can confirm that she will be allowed on the plane.  Make sure you get a confirmation # or some sort of proof that you have a pet reservation.  Some airlines say that they won't "confirm" it until you check in (some do it as first-come-first-serve) but I'd push for it anyways.  How the heck are you supposed to just "show up" at the airport not knowing if your pet will be able to travel with you?  Like, what do they expect you to do with it if they say no? 

Another tip: if you have to connect flights, try and book all of your connections on the same airline.  This was another headache for us.  Even though I was traveling on "partner airlines", they seemed to have a lot of trouble communicating about travel with a pet.  If you must travel on more than one airline, make sure you call each airline separately and confirm your pet has a reservation on the flight. 
Another note about connecting flights:  I don't have personal experience with this since I flew directly from New York to Finland, so I can't be of much help... but if you are connecting in another European country other than your destination, you may have to go through Customs in that country also, and therefore could potentally need to have all of the paperwork for importing a pet to that country also.  You may or may not, I'm not sure, so just make sure you check that out before you travel!

Also, most countries accept imported pets at "approved points of entry" only, where the pet must be presented at customs.  Most big cities should be "approved", but it should specify which airports you can fly into with a pet when you are resesarching and reading over your country's pet import requirements.

All in all, the headache that comes from booking flights is totally not worth it.  More often than not, no one even notices that you have a pet with you (besides security- you have to have a special note on your ticket to bring your pet through).  No one on the plane ever even notices Maddie was there.  We usually get comments as we are deplaning from the flight attendants or other passengers like "Oh my goodness, a dog! She was so quiet, I had no idea you even had one with you!"

*This process might be slightly different if you are traveling with a large dog that travels as cargo, so check with your airline about the protocol for that (or maybe another fellow hockey wife/anyone who has traveled to Europe with a big dog would like to add their experience/advice??)

- Carrier/Crate.  If you have never flown with your dog before, you will need to purchase an airline-approved soft-sided carrier (for in-cabin pets) or hard crate (for pets traveling as cargo).  Airlines have specific requirements for these, and specifically state maximum dimensions and weight.  Make sure the carrier/crate is big enough for your dog.  He/she should be able to turn around in it and lie down comfortably.  We use a soft-sided Sherpa carrier (size Medium) and it has worked really well for us.  Most airlines are familiar with and approve of Sherpa carriers (provided they meet the size restrictions) and it has been very durable, it's comfortable to carry, and there are storage pockets in it for leash, food, toy(s), treats, paperwork- so you can keep it all in one place.  You can find them, along with lots of other larger hard crates at most pet stores (I believe ours is from Petsmart).  Don't wait until the last minute to do this either, make sure you get it well in advance so your dog has a chance to check it out and get used to it.  Put familiar toys, blankets, treats, etc. inside it so they feel comfortable with it and know that it is "theirs" and let them explore.  I usually take Maddie's out a day or 2 before we travel.  She knows that her carrier is her "airplane bag" and that it means that she will be going somewhere soon.  It gives her a chance to become familiar with it again and to mentally/emotionally prepare herself for a trip. 

For dogs traveling in cargo, I think many airlines require there to be water attached to the crate.  You should also have copies of all paperwork attached to the crate itself, as well as carrying them with you.  Most people I know put them in some sort of plastic cover (like one of those page-protectors for binders, so you can still see through it) and tape it to the outside of the crate.  Make sure it is secured well, but that any airline or customs workers can easily remove the papers as needed.

- European Union & USDA Health Certificates.  There is one standard Veterinary Certificate that is used for travel into any of the EU countries.  It can usually be filled out in the country you are moving to's native language, or English (be sure and check what languages are approved in your specific country).  This certificate includes information about your pet, your information, and microchip, vaccination, treatment, etc. info.  It must be filled out in full and signed by your approved/accredited veterinarian.  It also must be looked over, signed and given a raised seal by the USDA, as mentioned below.  There is also a USDA form that basically lists the same information that must be filled out and stamped as well. 

- USDA Approval & Stamping.  This is your last step of the travel prep process!  You must make an appointment and go into your local USDA APHIS office within either 7 or 10 days of your flight (I can't remember which, and can't find it anywhere in my paperwork, so make sure to check when you call your local office).   Here they will look over your EU Vet Certificate and USDA Health Certificate, make sure that they have been filled out and signed by an accredited vet, and give the USDA certificate a stamp and the EU certificate a raised seal, saying that they looked everything over that your pet is healthy and meets export requirements.  The cost of this mandatory approval is like $35.  If you had to have a rabies titer test done, it is something around $100.  Keep these documents in a safe place until travel, they are VERY important!

travel tips:
- limit your dog's food and water intake the day of your flight.  If you are flying in the morning, do not give him/her food that day until you arrive at your destination.  If you are flying in the afternoon/evening, you could try giving your dog some food (maybe half of a usual serving size) but do so at your own risk!  You don't want your pup to have an upset tummy on the plane.  Better for them to be a little hungry than throwing up!
- make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise before you get to the airport and plenty of opportunities to go to the bathroom.  It's going to be a long flight, and you want him/her to be as comfortable as possible (and hopefully sleep most of the time!)
- Maddie is trained to go to the bathroom on a "potty pad", so we always pack a few in her carrier.  When we go on long trips I take her into the "family bathroom" in the terminal, and put the pad down so she has an opportunity to go to the bathroom between flights/right after a long flight.  It's also a nice way for her to get out and stretch her legs!
- you can offer your dog small amounts of water during the flight, but don't overdo it.  I usually give Maddie a water bottle cap-full of water every now and then.  Enough to quench her thirst and keep her hydrated, but not too much that she gets a tummy ache.
- always bring a little bit of food with you, even if you plan to buy some at your destination.  You never know what will happen during your travel or once you arrive, so it's important to have a little extra food with you for your dog to eat in case you get stuck.  This way, you can feed him/her right away when you get to your destination also.  Trying to find a pet store immediately upon arrival in a different country is not going to be easy.  Plus your dog will most likely be hungry!

Life After you Arrive in Europe
- Food.  This was another one of my big questions I had before moving.  Luckily, my husband was over here before I was, so he had time to scope it out and check out what kinds of dog food they had.  Hill's Science Plan (called Science Diet in the U.S.) is widely available and highly recommended by vets.  This is what we started using.  I've also seen Purina in Finland, along with a few others that I can't remember.  If your dog isn't already eating this brand at home, and you plan to switch to it when you get here, I recommend getting a small bag at home and introduce it to your dog before you move.  Mix half the old food and half of the Science Plan, so your dog's stomach can get used to the change.  Dogs can get sick from a switch in foods (add that on to the change in environment, and your dog might really be thrown off for a while), and this is the easiest way to prevent that.  Since it's also available in the States, we will be able to stick with the same food from now on, even in the off-season.  (Warning: I can't speak for all countries, but in Finland, like everything else, dog food is EXPENSIVE.  We're talking 50 euros for a 7.5 kg bag!)

- Culture. For the most part, dogs are widely accepted throughout Europe.  In some countries, they are welcome almost anywhere (restaurants, bakeries, stores, etc.)  In Finland, there are lots of dog parks (even in the city!) for your dog to run and play, on or off their leash.  When I was reading up prior to our move, I read that dogs are "so well behaved in Europe" and that dogs with any sort of behavioral issues are highly frowned upon.  Maddie is very well behaved, but she's not perfect.  She loves people, and therefore runs up to every one she comes across.  She isn't vicious and would never bite, but shes a dog, and dogs bark once in a while.  Big deal.  Anyways, I was worried even our precious pooch would be out of place when we got here-- definitely NOT!  Most dogs we have come across are just the same or worse than she is.  It's no different than at home.

- Vet.  It's a good idea to find a vet shortly after you arrive in Europe.  This way if you ever need to get in or in case of an emergency, you already have a relationship established.  Unless you're really out in the boonies, you should be able to find one that at least somewhat speaks English. 

- Grooming.  Usually your new vet can provide you with recommendations for a new groomer as well.  From our experience, grooming in Europe is no different than grooming in the U.S.  Just a lot more expensive (in Finland, at least)!

I hope you are not too discouraged by all of this information!  In all reality, it's not as bad as it looks.  And if you have a knowledgeable and experienced veterinarian, it should all be done very smoothly.  Like I said, the hardest part is the flight booking process.  Don't skip out on any parts of the process though, or you risk your pet not being accepted.  Just make sure that you have all of your information put together for when you travel, and keep it right on you in your carry-on. 

After I researched and did all of this stuff, the guy I had at Customs when I arrived in Finland didn't want anything to do with a dog or dog papers.  I told him I had one with me, and he kind of nodded and gave me a "ok, cool... good for you" sort of look.  I was like, are you kidding me buddy?  I just spent all this time, energy and money getting this stuff done, and I can't even beg you to glance it over?  Figures.  Don't assume this will happen to you though!  I think it all depends on where you are going and the specific person who you speak with at Customs.

I hope this provides some guidance to anyone who is looking to travel/ move to Europe with a dog.  Please don't hesitate to ask any questions, I'm more than happy to try and help!  And if you have moved to Europe with a dog and would like to share your experience and any tips, feel free, I'd love to hear other people's experiences as well!

(I better end with a disclaimer.  I am no expert in traveling with a dog, nor do I claim to be.  This is meant to be a guide only.  Laws and regulations change frequently, so make sure you do your research and follow the proper protocol specific to the country you are moving to.)

Happy & Safe Traveling!

you want me to... what?

I thought I'd dedicate my post today to some of the goofy (to us, at least) things that we encounter on a somewhat daily basis here in Finland.  I'm not sure if all of these things are standard around other parts of Europe or not, but they are sure to raise the eyebrows of anyone from the U.S.!

1)  Buying bags at the grocery store (or any store for that matter).  Sure, you may spend 100 euros, but does that earn you the right to get your purchase in a plastic (that probably cause them about 5 cents, tops) bag to carry home?  Not at the majority of stores you walk into!  If you want a bag, you had better grab one and put it on the checkout counter, it's going to cost you 20 cents.  Oh, you'd prefer paper? That'll be 50!  No, 20 cents won't break the bank, but if you count every time you go to the store (x the number of bags you get) it starts to add up.  We use reusable bags both here and at home, but of course only remember them half the time.  I guess it's a good effort to encourage recycling and not wasting bags, which I don't disagree with, but c'mon, if I spend a significant amount of money in your store, the least you could do is give a sister a bag (I promise I'll reuse it as a trash bag later!)


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 2)  Bagging your own groceries.  After that shiny-new-20-cent plastic bag comes across the scanner, you had better get your tush to the end of the checkout and start filling it.  Fast.  No, the bagger boy isn't just lagging behind at the checkout next to you... YOU are the bagger boy.  You quickly catch on to a good method on how to properly pack a grocery bag (which leaves you wondering how the bagger boys at home still always manage to put your eggs and bread on the bottom...) and, if you're like me, start testing your skills and timing yourself to see how fast you can go.  I even sometimes (secretly) race the person next to me and do a little celly dance if I win.  Hey, life is only as fun as you make it, right?



hey kids... I'll give you a dollar if you bag mine, too!


3) Assigned seats at the movie theatre.  I think I could go either way with this one.  Doesn't seem like all that bad of an idea, you get to pick where you want to sit, plus you don't have to worry about rushing right into the theatre to get a good seat (you won't want to when you see how many different kinds of foods, drinks and candy are scattered throughout the lobby!).  But I think we can all think of a time or 2 when you get stuck next to the group of 13 year olds that giggle every time they say "boob" or the chatty group of ladies there for their "mom's night out" gossip session (why did you come to a movie theatre again?).  In that case, I enjoy my freedom of being able to get up and move to the furthest seat possible.

no lady, your kid throwing popcorn at the back of my head is NOT cute
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4) The bathroom door code.  So, you need to get up from your movie and take a potty break? (hey, those 32 oz. soft drinks will get the best of everyone...)  Better bring your ticket with you!  No, not to get back in the theatre... but because you will need the "bathroom code" that is printed on it.  When I first saw the keypad next to the bathroom door that was locked I thought "wtf? I have to pay to use the bathroom, too?!"  Nah, you just need the 4 digit code on your ticket, but that's still beyond my comprehension.  Do movie theatres have a problem with homeless people coming in to bathe in their bathrooms or something?

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5) No drinks in the seating area.  Ok, so the reason I go to hockey games is obviously to watch my husband play.  But as for the 8,000 or so other people, I'd venture to guess that most of them are there for some combination of watching hockey, socializing, and having a few adult beverages.  I don't usually choose to drink at my hubby's games (I like to actually watch the game, plus I'm not a big drinker as it is)  but I think that this rule is really pointless.  No one is allowed to bring alcohol into the seating area, it must remain in the concourse area.  So, needless to say, come the last minute of the period there is a huge rush out to the concession stands, bars and restaurants to binge as many drinks as possible in the next 20 minutes.  This creates ridiculously long lines and overcrowding of the concourse.  It will take you the entire intermission just to fight the crowd and get around the arena once.  I think their theory is that it slows down people's drinking (Finns tend to drink a lot, which brings them out of their usual shy shell... a.k.a. they get ROWDY) but here's a hint: it doesn't!  It just means that instead of casually drinking 3 beers over 2 periods, they guzzle them all in one intermission.  FAIL!



Crowd during the game (away game)



Intermission


5)  What's a stop sign?  There are virtually no stop signs around.  It is common knowledge that the car to the right has the "right of way" so when you come up to an intersection, you yield to them.  Sure, we use the same concept in the U.S., but it almost always accompanies a stop sign or light (or at very least, a yield sign!)  If we Americans just assumed everyone to follow this, there would be a lot more accidents, and quite frankly (thinking especially back to my days of living in Massachusetts... haha ;) )  I'd be scared to drive. 

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6) What's that?  You wanted the box with your shoes?  Here, when you buy a pair of shoes, they take them out of the box and put them, just the shoes, into the bag.  I'm guessing to reuse the box and reduce waste, but c'mon, if I buy expensive shoes I do NOT want them sitting loose in a bag while I carry it home.  This reminds me of a pair of black stilettos I bought last month- I was carrying my unboxed new shoes home in their bag and stopped at the liquor store.  I happened to stumble across some Sam Adam's Winter Lager at the store (not a common occurance, so when you find that kind of stuff, you have to get it!)  In attempt to reduce waste (okay, and save 20 cents) I chose to put them in my bag from the shoe store.  2 black stilettos and 8 bottles of beer.  CLASSY.

I wonder where people here keep all of their old love notes and memorablia from ex's?

That's all I've got for now.  I'm sure I could think of a bunch of other things, but that's what is on the top of my head tonight.  Any of you that are living away from home and experience similar quirky things, feel free to add to my list! :)

Christmas is over, it can warm up anyday now!

I know it's only the beginning of January, but I have to say it: I'm over the cold!  I know it's a little too early to be saying that, especially in Finland (didn't winter just technically start like, 2 weeks ago?), but I haven't had a single ray of sunshine hit my skin since early September.  I've had enough- get me somewhere warm, ASAP!

Ok, so maybe that's just wishful thinking and won't be happening anytime soon, but a girl can dream, can't she?  I find myself longing for the feeling of warm sunshine hitting my skin while lounging on a beach with my toes in the water.  Guess they weren't lying when they say the darkness here can really get to ya.


get me back to Jamaica, pronto!


I don't think I've worn any less than 3 layers to step out the door in months.  Sure, you get used to the cold.  Suddenly -20 C doesn't feel so cold to you anymore (don't even get me started on the wind chills).  And should you be lucky enough to see the mercury rise (yes, rise) to -5 or above, Alleluiah!  You had better get out and get some fresh air, cause surely it won't last long.  And I hope you like living in a 24/6 (I'll give them the extra day as a freebie) snow globe, cause even if it's tiny microscopic flakes, they're still there!


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 All this, my friends, is coming from someone who has lived in the Upper Midwest and New England her whole life.  I've experienced my share of cold weather and seen more snow than I can remember.  I'm not complaining about living in Finland (well, not that much at least) but how did we manage to find ourselves in probably one of the only places colder than the Northern U.S.?  Aren't there teams in Florida, Texas, California, Italy??  Aye yai yai.  Figures. 

I guess for now I'll crank up my little space heater and daydream of the hot weather of the off-season  :)

it's official...

We're going to be in Finland for 2 more seasons!  It's been in the works for a little while, but J just signed his extension through the 2012-2013 season today.  I'm excited I can finally tell our family and friends now :) 

guess I better finally crack open my Finnish book and start studying!

It's really nice (and kind of crazy...) to know exactly where we'll be for the next 2 1/2 years.  That sounds silly to anyone outside of the hockey world... but in professional hockey, that's quite a long time.  Just like the rest of the job market, hockey jobs have become increasingly hard to come by in recent years.  We know many people who are playing in leagues lower than they should be just because there is nothing available.  Or who aren't playing at all this year.  There are just a lot of good hockey players out there. 

Now that's 2 more years we don't have to compete with all of the other talented players for a job.  Many players in North America don't know where they'll be playing that season until well into September & October.  They bounce around from NHL camps to AHL camps and go back and fourth until they (maybe) win a spot on a team.  And how many spend their time split between leagues, living out of suitcases in hotels?  I cannot tell you how fortunate we are feeling right now.  And how proud I am of my husband.  He works extremely hard, and has earned everything he has been given.  So, since I know he is going to read this and is sure to be embarassed about my "proud hockey wife" rant... I'll stop now. :)

Other than that, not a whole lot new around these parts.  We've been so busy lately, or at least it feels like it.  It seems like we always have somewhere we have to go in the afternoon when J gets home from practice.  The team has 3 games a week in the coming weeks also, so that will really add to the busyness of our lives.  Guess it's better than being bored all the time, right?

For New Years Eve, we went to one of the other guys and his wife's house for a small get-together.  There was lots of good food, wine, champagne, and company!  We had a great time.  There was also some action outside- some neighbor kids were outside setting off fireworks for a good part of the night (fireworks are a big tradtion on NYE here).  These ones were a little big for kids to be setting off (can you say illegal in the U.S.?) but they appeared to be having fun and we were enjoying watching them.  That is, until they hit the HOUSE next door and set it on FIRE!  Luckily, there was no one inside(!!) and no one living there at the present time, and we were a good 75 yards away from it.  I have never seen a house fire that close up.  It was blazing for a good couple hours as the firemen were trying to put it out.  Actually, when we left it was still going.

  poor house! thank GOD no one was in it!!

On New Years Day, we stayed up until 3 am to watch the Rose Bowl (it started at midnight our time!)  Too bad our Badgers lost :( 

Hope you all are having a fabulous start to 2011.  I've been trying to come up with some New Years Resolutions, but I am stumped this year.  I really can't come up with anything that is worth "resolving", or anything that I know I will actually stick to.  Maybe I'll come up with something in the next few days.  What are your New Years Resolutions? 

cake recipe, book reviews, and birthday cupcakes :)

Well, it's been a couple more busy days around here!  It's so funny how life goes from basically nothing going on to being busy non-stop for several weeks.  It's nice to shake things up a bit and keeps things interesting.

So, now that I'm back, first order of busniess:  My cake recipe!  It is basically chocolate cake layered with peppermint ice cream.  It's kind of Christmas-y, since peppermint is one of the main flavors, but if you're like me and loooove peppermint ice cream, you'll enjoy it year-round!!  If you're not into peppermint, you can really use any flavor of ice cream that you'd like (J doesn't like peppermint ice cream either though, but he LOVED this cake!)  It was a huge hit with everyone at our Christmas gathering.

Peppermint Ice Cream/Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
CAKE:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter

6 tablespoons milk chocolate (chocolate chips, or broken up chocolate bar both work)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

ICE CREAM:

3 Litres (about 3 quarts) vanilla ice cream, softened

about 3 tsp. peppermint extract

2 cups crushed peppermint candy canes (or round peppermint candies)

(You could use store-bought peppermint ice cream if you prefer... I couldn't find any here so I made my own using this recipe and it came out great!)

CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C)

Grease and flour a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking sheet (38 x 25 x 2.5 cm, I think mine actually ended up being 38 x 29 x 5 cm, but just as long as the dimensions are big enough that the cake ends up being about  3/4 to 1 inch thick.)

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, remove from heat.  Add chocolate, stir until melted.  Whisk in water, cocoa and vanilla until blended.  Whisk in the egg.  Add to dry ingredients, and whisk together until well blended.  Pour batter onto baking sheet.

Bake cake until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean/with only a few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes.  Cool cake on rack at least 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Turn cake out onto a sheet of foil (do not do this until it is plenty cool or it will crumble and break into pieces! I learned that the hard way...)  Cut cake crosswise into 3 equal strips.  Freeze cake strips for one hour.

ICE CREAM:

Mix the softened vanilla ice cream (soft enough to stir well, but not runny), peppermint extract, and chopped candy pieces together.  Stir until very well blended.  Add more or less peppermint extract to your taste preferences.  Return to a freezer-safe container. 

ICE CREAM CAKE:

Place one cake strip on a platter.  Working quickly, spread about 3.5 cups of ice cream onto the cake strip, smoothing to the edges.  Layer with 2nd cake strip, and repeat with 3.5 cups of ice cream, again smoothing to the edges.  Top with the last cake strip, return to freezer for 1 hour. 

After 1 hour, spread the remaining ice cream (about 6 cups) over the top and sides of the cake, covering generously (being sure to work quickly!)  Freeze for at least 3 hours, until firm.

For decoration, I added some whipped cream around the edges and sprinkled it with M & Ms, broken candy canes, and other various candy pieces.  The cake will make about 12 servings. 

 The Finished Product:

Hope you enjoy it as much as we all did!

Order of business #2, book reviews!  I am now onto the 3rd book in Lauren Conrad's series of L.A. Candy books, Sugar and Spice.  I promised to give my reviews of the first 2, L.A. Candy and Sweet Little Lies, so here they are! 

A quick synopsis: The first book in this series, titled L.A. Candy, is about 2 girls that move to Los Angeles after high school, one to go to USC and one to work for a high-end event planner.  Shortly after the 2 girls arrive in town, a reality tv producer "discovers" them at a club and convinces them to be a part of a new reality show called that he is going to film called L.A. Candy.  They soon discover that there are 2 other girls that will be on the show with them, requiring them to become "friends".  The girls are excited to get into the world of reality tv (some more than others...) and all of the new opportunities it will give them- VIP access to clubs, a new apartment, spa days- and to get paid for them.  However, they quickly learn that it's not always all fun and roses, and the drama begins to unfold.

My opinion of it:  This was a pretty good book.  I mean, it can't be that bad- I finished it's 300 pages in 2 days.  If you like reality tv shows, you'll definitely like this book.  I was curious to find out if it was going to be just like The Hills, which it sort-of-was and sort-of-wasn't.  The chapters are told in the point of view of different characters, which I liked, because you can get into each character's "head" and learn the unspoken things that are a big part of the drama in the story.  It was an easy read and just something fun and lighthearted to get into.

A quick synopsis:  The girls of L.A. Candy are starting to realize the negative side of being a reality tv star.  As the show ratings skyrocket, they cannot go anywhere without being recognized.  They begin to learn that not everyone is their true friend, and their boy drama that began in the first book continues to escalate.  The girls are starting to forget what it was like to be "normal", and sometimes find themselves longing for what their lives used to be like.  Others, on the other hand, can't get enough of the fame, and will do just about anything to be in the spotlight.  There is backstabbing, heart break, lies, suspense, and even some happiness all mixed into this second book in the series.

My opinion:  Now that I already knew all about the L.A. Candy girls from the first book, this one was an even quicker read, finishing it's 300 pages in a mere 24 hours (I know, I know, I need a life... :) )  It's the kind of book that is so easy to finish because you keep wanting to know what is going to happen.  Each chapter ends with a cliff hanger that keeps you going back for more.  It also kind of gives you an inside peek on  how a reality show really works (if you didn't already know) and what sets apart the "real" reality from the "fake" reality. 

Not only is Lauren a #1 NY Times Bestselling Author, but apparently these books are very popular here in Finland.  When I have been searching for them at the bookstore, all of the sales people I have asked help from all know exactly what I'm talking about right away.  They get 10 new copies in and they're gone within a day or two.  I had to go to 3 different stores to find the 3rd book. I give Lauren Conrad a lot of credit for not only making millions by starring on a reality show, but then going and writing books about the exact same concept and making lots more money.  The girl is good!  I didn't like her when Laguna Beach was popular way back when (I thought she made herself look too desperate, or at least the show made her look that way) but I really liked her in The Hills.  I also like that she broke away from the show tomove on to bigger and better things than reality tv.  She is an all around respectable girl (which can't be said of many reality tv stars), and knows how to write a good book or two, also! :)

Now that I've gotten that taken care of, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my BIRTHDAY!   The guys have an away game (go figure, happens every year on my birthday! haha)  But it's a short trip so I was able to see J for a good part of the beginning of the day, and he will be back shortly after the game.  One of the girls has invited me and our other fellow American girl over tonight for dinner and to watch the game and have a little something special to do on my birthday, which is super sweet of her and I'm very excited to not be sitting alone all evening on my special day ;)  Oh, and the best part of the day? 

FUNFETTI cupcakes with pink frosting!!  My faaaaaavvvorittteee! My mom sent a box from home in her Christmas package of goodies because they haven't yet discovered the-greatness-that-is-funfetti-cake in Finland.  Thanks Mom!!

Ok, reading back over this post really makes me feel like I shouldn't have taken the day off the gym today.  But hey, a girls gotta indulge now and then! :)