HOW TO handle criticism as a blogger

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August 30, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Most bloggers know it: the blunt comments often very short-sighted and sometimes even verbally violent that enter your mailbox through the comment section, that stand out in the comments on Facebook and YouTube or that fill up you twitter timeline after posting something and totally ignorant of doing so, stepping on someones toes. Or not even that, it also can come from that one visitor that has an opinion about you, the way you look, write, the topic you write about or anything else that triggers them to be their true friendly self.

This blog is written not only for the Blogger dealing with it, but also for those who feel triggered to write a comment. The commenter needs to find his or her own personal red button before writing a comment that bursts with criticism, and you reader of the post, feeling what you feel, need to find yours.

Lets take a deeper look into the art of feeling triggered
Writing this I’m speaking for my own audience as well. If there is something I’m not good at it is handling criticism. For me it all comes down to self-esteem. Lots of people see me as a self-confident woman ready to travel the world. But I know the little scared and wounded girl deep inside me sitting next to my exclusive red button, hand raised to push it any inconvenient time, when she hears something that triggers her.

In my childhood the message that came across was me being dumb, stupid and bothersome. And i believed them since nobody took time or care to tell me otherwise. I’m working my way out of this for some time now. But still there is this red button .

Do you know the feeling of getting flushed from head to toe your skin prickling?

I do, and I know where it comes from. Very cliché to say: from my childhood, but in my case it does. I call my trigger point ‘the Red Button’ It took me a few years to discover but once I got grip on the how and why, it was a battle convincing the little girl inside me not to push that button immediately and send me into a corner to sulk, but to hand the matter to me, the adult, and cope with it.

Today I will share my coping strategies with you. When you are a blogger you will get negative feedback occasionally and you will need a thicker skin to cope with that. I got an email a few days back from someone telling me I was completely out of my mind because of what I’m about to do. I was totally ignorant to the world around me. It caught me at a bad moment and triggered me from a sunshine day right into self-reflection. I really needed to put that email into perspective.

1. Who is the other person? Separating bullshit from facts.
Most people commenting on your writings, acting and person, don’t know you. That is a fact.
They interpret your writings within their own perspective and that might not be a wide, world-friendly frame build on lots of experiences and common sense. That’s another thing: what common sense is to you might be completely out of sense to someone else. There is no such thing as common sense no matter how hard we live to believe it.

People are likely to identify with you, specially those who do return to your blog, they bond, and they get the feeling they have the right to interfere and give their opinion, without any background information. To you as a blogger the art of separating the bullshit from the facts.

Someone judging you while being a complete stranger to you? Just ignore it. Do not excuse yourself or try to explain yourself, you will end up in a meaningless discussion, that can take nasty turns, take it from a pro. No matter how hard your red button is pushed, just say something neutral like: thank you for commenting, stop by again any time you like.

Do take a closer look at your writing, why is it this person is interpreting it the way he does? Do you need to change anything?
I once received a comment on a blog about trying to loose weight, it a blunt reply that I should be careful, before I know I could not wipe my own butt anymore. Being shocked by the comment at first,and not knowing how to reply, I did look back on my last few blogs and they were all about going out for drinks, having fingerfood….I probably created the impression my life was all about wining and dining. A point of improvement.

Preventive: when I’m tired, sad, in a bad mood, easy irritated, if I do not feel strong and self-confident I will not read the comments or handle email from strangers.

Practice: I do not receive any email notifications on comment on the website, I just check in every other day to see if there is anything that needs my attention. Just to make sure it does not hits me in a bad time, when facing a deadline or on my way to an important meeting or something. Same thing for social media.

2. transform criticism into a positive attribution
There are comments that are only posted to hurt, there is no positivity in those. Try to ignore them by handling them the way I describe before. But there is criticism that can add value to your live. Like the one about being to fat to wipe my own butt. I looked at my writings and saw there was no balance, my writing was all about eating and drinking. And by doing so I created an image that was not correct. I see it in travel blogs also: they are always about sunshine, fun, beach and flip-flops. I sometimes feel the urge myself to push someones button by asking if there are never any rainy days.

I do receive a lot of mails on my spelling. Since English is not my first language and being dyslexic as well, it is difficult for me to write error free content. The first two emails on that topic, I felt so ashamed, I even turned up the urge to perfectionism beyond normal (is there normal perfectionism?) I was so scared to publish my next post, what would people think of me? I learned to laugh about it, like the blog post I used ‘ass’ instead of ‘as’ and only reader number 200-something took the politeness to email me. We made fun about it. I’m glad when people correct me on that, I have accepted I’m not perfect.

Can you separate the bullshit from facts and than turn critique into something positive?
If you can’t, it is posted by idiots that can’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Vinegar pissing visitors just passing by with nothing meaningful to do in their pity little lives. So, there you go!

3. Find yourself a world-famous role model
Everybody famous out there gets criticized, rejected and bombed with negativity, so you can take it as a compliment when you have lots of annoying, negative comments and email. Living a mediocre live it not the live of a blogger. Mediocrity is safe, shielded from the outside world and fits in almost everything. You as a blogger chose to stand out in the crowd, with your product, opinion and stories. There is nothing mediocre about you and that is why people feel they can put you down. Or that is why people can act jealous.

I received an email from a person that stated that: I was discouraging other people to start a blog because I was afraid there would not be enough money out there for me and since I had such high income already…blablabla……well did she get it all wrong.
She definitely needed a pair of reading glasses and some English lessons.

I immediately though of Mary Robinson, the firs female Irish President, now that’s a woman with a thick skin, an independent politician giving women in Ireland a voice, fighting for rights of those oppressed. She is a strong woman and my role model when it comes to perseverance.

I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system – M. Robinson

You as a blogger can rock the World Wide Web. Let nobody or nothing stand in your way

create blog titles5. Find your own red button

In order to rock the World Wide Web by writing authentic, world-changing content, and to persevere under criticism, you have to find your own red button. What triggers you when you read criticism? What makes you sulk over ‘all your wrong doings’ and what gives you the idea ‘all your works sucks’ and that you are ‘no good at all’?

Written by: leavingholland.com

EFFECTIVE strategies to optimize your website traffic

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 30, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Websites are like private islands. No one can visit the island unless somebody “builds a bridge” to it. To succeed online, your website must have connections to other websites. Think of these connections as bridges. The best bridges deliver the most traffic and clients. Doing business online does not end in hiring experts who are trained to create a website. Building websites has only a small contribution to the success of every online endeavor.

Fortunately, there are a lot of “bridges” that could turn your website into a money-generating machine. As an online entrepreneur, the term search engine optimization (SEO) and traffic generation should already be familiar to you. So I’ll talk about website traffic and SEO later on.

Social Media
Today, social media platforms like Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and Facebook are considered as excellent venues to redirect potential viewers to your website. In fact, they already serve as a venue for customers and service providers to meet. Many people would check out these social media platforms before running through the streets, or using the old phone book, looking for plumbers and electrical service professionals.

Experts initially had low hopes for using social media in their marketing strategy. But as time went by, social media started playing an integral role in getting high volumes of website traffic. Social media serves as a perfect means for online entrepreneurs to reach their target audience at a faster pace.

Some say that search engines wouldn’t really care much if your website content gets thousands of retweets or likes. While the number of retweets or likes may not have a direct impact on SERP. When topnotch and influential person decides to feature your website or share a link to it, this usually generates a lot of traffic. This could mean business for you!

There are millions of social media users around the globe so let these millions of users spread the word for you. It no longer can be denied that social media and SEO always go hand in hand. So if you intend to get high quality and massive traffic, then you should learn to integrate social media with your other marketing strategies.

Local Citations
Local citation plays an integral role in sending your website traffic generation project into an overdrive. It is a process which involves mentioning your website in local listing services and external websites.

Citations usually include your business name, address, and phone number. These three are often referred to as NAP.

There are lots of local directories listed online but Google My Business, Yelp!, Merchant Circle, and Yellowpages.com are the most popular in the US. With their millions of subscribers and active users, getting listed in these local directories should deliver incredible traffic to your website.

Local citation strategy works best for companies that aim to do business with people in a specific geo-location.

Blog Posts
Creating blog articles with keyword-rich topics is also beneficial in building traffic. The use of proper and relevant keywords as well as meta-tag descriptions has a significant impact in indexing your website.

Writing guest blog posts for popular blogs is a proven strategy for attracting website traffic. Your site gets not only visitors, but also converts them into loyal subscribers

Online Ads
According to research, placement of online ads is also cost effective in increasing website traffic.

A properly created ad with Google can boost website traffic almost overnight.

As of this writing, Facebook ads are some of the most cost effective and well targeted ads available. Placement of ads in the news feeds of Facebook users significantly increases your probability of getting traffic.

What All of the Above Have In Common
Through the years, many entrepreneurs have realized the importance of back links in optimizing their websites for search engines as well as skyrocketing their website traffic.

Back links, also known as inbound links, play an important role in getting to the top pages of popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Websites with high quality back links usually get high Domain Authority from Google, thus they are considered as a more relevant search result.

Eventually, this achieves increased ranking on a search engine results page.

The quality of back links is usually measured by the relevance of the content of the other sites that are linked to the website.

Quality Website Traffic Requires More Than SEO
Visitors arrive at your website from many sources. Each source of website traffic is just one bridge to your website. Search Engine Optimization is just one of the many bridges that your website needs.

It takes a lot of effort and time for SEO to deliver significant results.

Back links from Social Media, Local Citations, and Guest Blog Posts bring traffic faster than SEO.

Remember, the fastest way to acquire web traffic is through online Ads.

Nowadays, entrepreneurs have realized that traditional and digital marketing strategies are crucial ingredients to business profitability.

There is no magic bullet, or secret sauce to profitable web traffic.

Fortunately, there are number of digital marketing experts out there who are willing to lend a hand to entrepreneurs who are struggling to capture a larger market. Through their expertise, business owners are able to focus their full attention to their business while their minds are at ease that their online marketing strategies are working at the optimum.

Source: getwebclients.com

7 SUBJECTS for the self employed blogger

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 17, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Want to grow visitors numbers on your blog? Get the Blog Tools! A website with lots of interaction is a website found by Google. But how to attract visitors and make their visit worth while. Most business blogger or wannabee bloggers I speak, have great trouble to find subjects and maintain a blog. Read these 7 subjects for self-employed bloggers that have proven to appeal to your visitors!

1. Introduce yourself
Your Blog is your business card. Tell people about your motivation as a business owner, about the things you do in your free time, about your favorite book. What made you decide to become a business owner or self-employed?
What’s your expertise and how do you go about it?

2. Introduce your business.
What services do you offer. Do you have any specialized products that make your service unique among others? Why should people hire you for the job or buy their products with you? What distinguishes your business or services from your colleagues.Why should they choose over you instead?

3. Answer questions
Every costumer asks questions, answer them by writing about it. Lots of websites have frequently asked question sections, each question, or each topic can be an appealing blog post. But also specialized questions that only occur once can be a great opportunity to show your knowledge and processes. People get to know you and the way you go about your business and services by answering questions.

4. Make announcements
You can write about:

business announcements, like upcoming events you will attend to or you are organizing
discount
special offers
seasonal products or services
new products to arrive

Make a planning of upcoming events. For the web shop I used to own, I even wrote about the delivering of stock and the fun of unpacking those boxes full of new products. People loved to read about that. I made a picture of every step of processing the goods and showed them a little of how the shop looked at my end.

5. Ask questions
Organize polls, ask questions in blog posts, involve them in development of new products and services. Answer to each of the comments or even write a blog post about a specific comment. Asking questions can be a source for new blog post as well.

6. Share knowledge
Now I can hear you think: but my knowledge is my product. Yes, but share wisely. People are searching the internet for knowledge. Share it with them. Don’t give away your secret, but pretend you do. I’m sharing my knowledge about blogging with you guys as well, but my insights and the knowledge you really want and need you get in a full blog-advice, which is an actual product. Still you get lots of knowledge about blogging on this website. As you do on other websites about blogging.

7. Share some good practices
Or even bad ones for that matter. Who cares? They care! They want to know how you solve things, they want to know you are human. You and your business should appeal to costumers over the business of your colleagues and what better way to show how you handles mistakes, solve processing problems and correct flaws? It only makes you human and authentic and that is what people love.

Final tip for more interaction on your blog: When people respond in the comment section or the contact form: always reply!

Written by: http://leavingholland.com

HOW TO make a long-haul flight more bearable

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 17, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Those of you who travel the world know how brutal a long-haul flight can be. Unless you are one of the few who can afford First or Business Class, a long flight may be a real test of endurance. From bloating, to swelling, to migraines and fatigue you are likely to experience a wide range of unpleasant sensations when you are on a plane. While there is no miracle pill that you can take to alleviate the discomfort, there are a few things that you can do to make a long-haul flight more bearable.

1. Moisturize before and during your flight

Pressurised cabins have low levels of humidity and are very dry places to be for any length of time. Skin gets very little oxygen during the flight as you are enclosed in this environment. The results is dehydration, sensitivity and tired dull skin. It’s important to hydrate your skin before or even during the flight. Many international flights provide moisturizing lotion in the lavatories, but bringing your own is always better.

2. Wear Compression Gear and Comfortable Clothes

As we get older we are more likely to collect edema fluid in our lower legs if we stand or sit too long. You may notice “sock marks” when you take off your shoes and socks after a long flight. Wearing compressions stockings considerably improves that symptom. The gradual compression on the leg will prevent the swelling, but if the stockings are too tight they may prevent your blood from flowing properly and do more harm than good. That’s why getting the right size is very important. Also, wearing loose and comfortable clothes that will allow movement is essential.

3. Take a good night sleep before your flight

When you travel to a different time zone your body clock will be out of sync for a while. Some lucky folks may easily fall asleep under any circumstances, but for most people a minimum of comfort is necessary in order to fall and stay asleep. Unfortunately, with airlines trying to squeeze more rows onto every plane, seats are getting harder and narrower every year making your chances to drift to sleep slimmer and slimmer. So getting a good night sleep before a long-haul flight is vital. The longer you go without sleep, the weaker your immune system becomes.

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Dehydration is the biggest issue for most travelers who fly, so it’s very important to keep yourself hydrated. The fact that you can’t bring liquids through security shouldn’t keep you from bringing an empty bottle with you, which you can later fill at the water fountain. It is important to start drinking at least an hour before you fly and keep drinking during the flight as well.

5. Avoid carbs and alcohol before or during the flight

Skip the alcohol and caffeine and you’ll arrive with a much greater chance of staying healthy. Many people don’t realize that alcohol and caffeine are extremely dehydrating, so drinking prior to or on a flight in combination with the low cabin humidity, lowers your resistance to cold and flu germs.

6. Stretch and move during the flight

Sitting still for long periods in cramped conditions can cause deep vein thrombosis (DTV), a potentially life-threatening disorder in which blood clots form in the legs. As we get older, the risk factor gets higher. To prevent DVT you need to keep your muscles active, which is more difficult when you are stuck in a seat for hours. While on a long-haul flight, try to walk around the cabin at least every every hour. You can also do some simple stretching exercises while seated, like ankle turns, foot lifts, arm bends, forward bends.

The above is by no means an exhaustive list of things you can do to keep your body healthy during a long-haul flight. We each have our own tricks that make plane rides fun and comfortable. What’s your go-to strategy for long-haul rides?

Featured image: Tel Aviv airport (Ohmygossip.com/ Helena-Reet Ennet)
Written by: Anda Galffy/ travelnotesandbeyond.com

Norway: Norwegians told to seek their fortune in Sweden

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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August 4, 2016

NordenBladet – Unemployed Norwegians are being urged to head for greener pastures in Sweden as the country’s oil boom peters out, reversing the age-old trend of young Swedes moving to Norway to work.

Sweden’s unemployment rate has been on a downwards curve in the past few years. In June 11,000 fewer Swedes aged 18-24 were without a job compared to the same month last year.

But the situation is starkly different across the border, where the number of unemployed Norwegians aged 15-24 grew by 22,000 people in the past year alone, according to Statistics Norway.

The well-known trend of Swedes moving to Norway to work peaked between 2011 and 2014. It was even the subject of the award-winning Swedish film Svenskjävel (Underdog in English), which follows a Swedish au pair who has an affair with her Norwegian employer.

But financial experts are now advising young Norwegians to instead look for work in Sweden, particularly in the construction sector, teaching and computer engineering.

“Norwegians should seek their fortune in Sweden. It is certainly worth the trip,” Terje Strøm, chief economist at the Ny Analyse institute in Norway, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Even unemployed oil workers should quit Norway for Sweden, he added.

“Working a few years in Swedish industry could be very useful for future jobs when the labour market has improved in Norway.”

“In the past ten years more than 100,000 Swedes have come to the Norwegian labour market and helped us here. So it is good if Norwegians can go in the other direction now,” he said.

Swedes are the second-largest immigrant group in Norway after the Poles, but last year was the first time since the new millennium that the country saw a negative net migration of Swedes.

“Over the past year the demand for labour in Norway has been much lower, while demand has been very high in Sweden,” Harald Magnus Andreassen, the chief Norway economist for Sweden’s Swedbank, told Aftenposten in December.

“There have never been more vacancies than there are now in Sweden. There is simply much less reason to go to Norway.”

Princess Sofia: Motherhood changed my whole life

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Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 22, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Sweden’s Princess Sofia says motherhood has changed her “whole life” while her husband Prince Carl Philip said having a baby is “absolutely amazing and wonderful”. The royal welcomed son Prince Alexander with husband Prince Carl Philip on April 19 and while the pair have admitted that parenthood is “an adjustment”, they could not be happier.

Sofia told Sweden’s Svenskdam magazine: “Being a mother is amazing. It changes your whole life.”

And Carl added: “The first time does take some adjustment. But it’s still absolutely amazing and wonderful.”

Meanwhile, Sofia revealed Alexander is “very sweet and well-behaved” and sleeps “pretty well” at night. She said that he changes every day and is a “mixture of us both!”

Alexander will be christened on September 9 at Stockholm’s Royal Chapel and last month the couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

The 36-year-old prince married the former reality star, 31, in Stockholm last June, and after a lavish honeymoon in Fiji, the brunette beauty fell pregnant with the couple’s first child.

During his wedding speech, the prince recalled to guests how he had driven to see Sofia’s father, who works in a job centre, to ask permission to propose and thanked her family for their support.

He also hailed the former model as his “role model” and praised the citizens of Sweden for accepting their union.

He said: “We never chose the tough way – it chose us. You fill my life with love and happiness. Today we prove that love conquers all. Sofia – you’ve enriched our family. Your family has received me with equally open arms. I’ve got another family.”

Featured image: Scanpix/Maja Suslin

Helena-Reet: Family visit to Naantali, Finland (VOL4 – Kultaranta) GALLERY!

By

Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 15, 2016

NordenBladet – Naantali is famous among Estonians for the Moomin world, but this resort town also hosts the Finnish president’s summer residence in Kultaranta! While already in Finland, Naantali, then why not also visit the Finnish president’s summer residence in Luonnonmaa?! For those of you who wish to do so, there is legal permission for that! 13 euros for an adult and 5 euros for a child – and there you go – to the president’s estate. As for me, I made the decision to go and see!

Alas! …it is all very pleasant, beautiful and glamorous, yet the visit still turns out not as glossy as perhaps expected. The common tourist can only access the front yard! Neither the residence nor the interior gardens, where the president might invite friends over to grill together in bathing suits and maybe also have a nice cold beer on a hot summer day – this all is out of reach. Haha! Yet the place is worth seeing – you will get an idea how and where this world’s powerful fill the leisure moments. And many do so – Kultaranta hosts 18 000 visitors every year! The place is picturesque and worth the visit!

The official tour takes you from one rose plant to the next in the park, where the tour guide reveals the history of the beautiful site in a few words. For example, you will know that long ago the wealthy landlord Alfred Kordel acquired this ground on an auction and there he later established the Kultaranta castle. In 1916 the edifice was completed and when landlord Kordel passed away, it became state property. The newly independent Finland decided that the palace would be a suitable summer residence for the president and already since 1922 every Finnish president has spent their holidays in this palace. The palace comes with 54 hectares of land where you can find parks, greenhouses and other constructions. The castle, made from stone and holding 19 rooms, was designed by architect Lars Sonck.

The residence’s main building, a granite castle, was erected between 1914-1916 by the architect Lars Sonck and it is surrounded by 54 hectares of parks and greenhouses. In 1922 the Finnish Republic obtained the venue and it was decided that Kultaranta becomes the president’s summer residence. Besides the grand territory Kultaranta estate is fascinating also due to the surrounding shores! And what is even more romantic – from the shore there is a beautiful view to Naantali as well as to the Moomin island! Thus the offsprings of the presidents have for their neighbours the Moomin characters themselves!

The history of Naantali goes back to the Middle Ages when a settlement evolved near a monastery. In the 15th century Naantali gained city rights. In later times the town grew into a fine destination for spending summer holidays. Naantali resort is steeped in traditions – besides the Moomin world, the Väsk island, the Kultaranta residence and the beautiful old town of Naantali it also has to offer SPA, sauna and bathing enjoyments and luxurious accommodation fr the visitor. We stayed overnight in Naantali Spa Hotel and only have words of praise to describe it (see „Naantali SPA Hotel” ☆☆☆☆☆ naantalispa.fi and sunbornhotels.com, Matkailijantie 2 FI-21100 Naantali)!

Naantali also has many restaurants famous for their good quality – though the prices are crispy, the gourmet experience is well worth it! Starting from 14 June the Ukkopekka steamboat bridges the distance between Turku and Naantali – therefore whoever so wishes, may as well also have a stylish glimpse at Turku during the vacation.

If you plan to visit Naantali, I would recommend to find more information about Naantali from Naantalin Matkailu OY website (see naantalinmatkailu.fi) or once in Naantali you can just step in – they will keep you updated about everything that is going on in Naantali and the vicinity, also the staff can share information about places of interest that you either wish to see with your own eyes or read about.

Take a look at other posts from the trip to Finland as well!

Photos: Ohmygossip /Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet: With Family in Naantali, Finland (VOL3- Väski) GALLERY!

By

Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 15, 2016

NordenBladet – It is about time to unfold the next tourism attraction sights! In case the Moomin world has already been seen and there is still some time left for an adventure with the kids, I warmly recommend visiting the Väsk island located nearby. There you’ll find a day full of sports activities in the open air.

VÄSKI
(Official homepage: http://en.vaski.fi/)

Väski is an island of adventures – exactly that! Being a tiny island, everything here has been built around this adventure. You can reach Väski by boat (which is already a great adventure for the children!) and the boat sets sail quite close to the Moomin gates. There is a big Väski-flag waving in the harbour, making it easy to spot the right place. Families with babies might perhaps postpone this visit a year or two, since it is a bit inconvenient to navigate with the baby carriage (though possible). The island is especially meant for youngsters in pre- or early teenage years, those who like to run around, jump, climb, etc. Of course if the children are of different ages then it is an option that the mothers and babies spend some time camping and enjoy the beach while the fathers with youngsters take the tour.

Should you wish to enjoy the island to the maximum, follow these guidelines:

1) make sure that you have all day for visiting the island

2) bring along your bathing suits and beach blankets

3) bring along your own barbecue supply (there are places where you can use the grill) and also bring your refreshments for the day, since there are neither any shops nor cafes – there are two kiosks where you can purchase drinking water, chocolate and the like.

Let the pictures now talk for themselves!

Photos: NordenBladet /Helena-Reet Ennet

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Helena-Reet: Visiting Moominworld in Naantali, Finland! + PHOTOS!

By

Helena-Reet Ennet

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July 14, 2016

NordenBladet – In today’s post I am writing to you about Naantali´s main tourist attraction – Moominworld! Naantali is located in South-Western Finland, it is a wonderful resort town. When the weather is good, there is plenty to do. Because the natural surroundings is very lovely, it is great to promenade near beach or discover the lovely resort and the old town. But now more about Moominworld!

Moominworld
(Official Website: http://www.muumimaailma.fi/)

Moominworld is a children’s theme park created in 1993, is dedicated to Tove Jansson’s Moomin book series and designed and created by Dennis Livson. Moominworld´s conception and philosophy assess the family values, friendliness and respect for other people. It also promotes a natural, safe and adventurous childhood. Moominworld is located in Naantali Kailo island opposite the Naantali´s old town, not far from the Turku city (16 km from Turku and 180 km from Helsinki). The island can be reached via the pedestrian bridge. Naantali is like a fairytale city – lovely “doll” houses, very tidy and clean, and when you arrive to Moominworld, you will forget for a moment that you are an adult – the island is so fabulous and cute! You really feel there that life is beautiful.

Children can see with their own eyes the whole Moomin family and other Moominworld residents. The Moomins are very friendly and welcome everyone personally, children (also adults) can hug them and take photos with them. Children are also welcome in the homes of all Moominworld inhabitants – you can see with your own eyes how Moominmamma have cooked a cake or Moominpappa writes his memoirs. Several times a day there is also a theater (included in the ticket price), where the Moomins themselves will give a performance. On the island you´ll find many familiar places which you have seen in Moomin books and cartoons. Also there are several food places, shops and lottery booths.

Take at least one full day to visit Moomin World! Moominworld is open this summer until August 28!

Photos: Ohmygossip.ee /Helena-Reet Ennet

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Helena-Reet: With family in Naantali, Finland (Naantali SPA Hotel + Naantalin Matkailu OY)! + PHOTOS!

By

Helena-Reet Ennet

-

July 14, 2016

OHMYGOSSIP – Heipparalla! If only I would know exactly what that means, but we use it as conjunctive after our last trip to Finland – now it´s our private slang or so. My daughter Ivanka Shoshana (8) said “Heipparalla” after every cool thing she saw and for us it is now such a positive statement that we all use if there is sth positive! Now, so, Heiparalla dear readers. We’re back from our journey, and I strongly recommend this trip to everyone!

We had planned the trip for the children – we wanted to make 100% children´s trip, where all the steps which are taken into account were made thinking about the children, and we couldn´t come out with better ideas than Naantali in Finland! This place is all about children´s activities! We were in Finland (Naantali) for four days, and for every day I made a special program:

Day 1: Naantali Spa
Day 2: Moominworld
Day 3: Väski
Day 4: Kultaranta

We stayed in five-star “Naantali Spa Hotel” ☆☆☆☆☆ (Official Websites: Naantalispa.fi and Sunbornhotels.com, Matkailijantie 2, FI-21100 Naantali), which is part of the Sunborn Hotels chain. It is very close to Naantali´s city center and just a walking distance from Naantali´s main tourist attractions – Moominworld (Official Website: Muumimaailma.fi. Read my blog about Moominworld HERE) and Väski. The Naantali Spa Hotel lies near a beautiful lake and has a main building and side building, which is about 100 m from the main building. We stayed in a double deluxe room in the main building, which is the best solution if you travel with children because it is more convenient.

SPA, various children´s game rooms, restaurants and shops are all in the main building. The hotel is really nice and the location is wonderful! Naantali is really like a small fairytale town – very cute houses, a lot of nature and hiking trails, small sandy coastal strips, etc. Reminds me a bit of the Kuressaare city in Estonia. There are all sorts of sports facilities in the hotel’s courtyard – tennis, volleyball, playgrounds for children, a beach area, and a large convenient parking for cars. Very nice hotel!! It left us a very good impression, and in the future I would certainly love to visit other Sunborn SPA and Yacht Hotels as well!

The hotel has many restaurants, shops and cafes .. Unfortunately, I didn´t take so many pictures inside the hotel (I suggest to view their website, there are very good and comprehensive galleries: Naantalispa.fi/en/gallery), but I want to say some words about the breakfast buffet. First, I love that it is open until 10:30. I hate to put the waking alarm just because you need to go to breakfast. Also, we loved that there were several halls and terraces – plenty of space and privacy! Last but not least – the food was very good 🙂

Our double deluxe room´s balcony was opened to the huge roof terrace at the back side of the hotel! Higher floors and balconies were smaller and fenced. One thing I noticed right away was the silence! I love quiet and peaceful places! Despite the fact that it was the peak season and the hotel have plenty of restaurants-bars, I did not hear any noise – not once! It would be creepy to relax if there is nonstop rock and roll, which you hear through the walls.

Fortunately, the hotel neighbors were polite as well… they either wasn´t there at all or we did not hear them. Anyhow, it was very cozy and silent. And also was positive, that despite the fact that there were ashtrays on terrace tables, nobody smoked! Nowadays, I do not think there are many people left who smoke anyway – everybody thinks about their health! So in summary, there were silence, peace and fresh air! Divine!

The hotel has Classic, Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Double, Double Deluxe and Moomin-themed rooms and suites (see: naantalispa.fi/en/hotel/presidential-suite/). I chose a double deluxe room for us (see: naantalispa.fi/en/hotel/deluxe-room). Moominmamma, which you saw in the picture is ours, we took it with us from home. However, when we register ourselves into the hotel, the receptionist gave complimentary color book and crayons for both children. This, of course, immediately made them feel good (read: even better!).

(Moomin room picture and 3x suite´s pictures are taken from Naantali Spa´s webpage!)

There were no complimentary drinks nor fresh flowers or fruits in the hotel room (I guess this privilege is only for those who will stay in the suite ???) – but there was mini bar/fridge. When I travel with children, I have always a little food box with juices and snacks with me, so it is very comfortable when there is a fridge where you can put your own stuff as well. The mini bar prices are of course (as in any other hotel – triple), so it is wiser to go to the store and buy your own stuff but actually the room service food menu was quite favorable.

Of cource, there were Wifi and TV – it is elementary. What I also like is when there are decent shampoos, balsams and lotions in the hotel´s bathrooms. And I do not know what greed in nice hotels always awakens in me, but I always have to take some bottles at home with me. As you can guess, I have a pretty nice collection of hotel shampoos thanks to this.

The room had enough space for four (two adults and two children), but there were only two dressing gowns for adults. We needed to rent Children´s robes from the SPA. There is a huge SPA at the hotel and without bathrobes it is very uncomfortable – most people changed in their rooms and went directly to SPA and back (wearing just a swimsuit and bathrobe). Very comfortable! I just love the SPA´s, I could live in the SPA´s!

You can order a variety of treatments in Naantali SPA and spend time with various swimming pools and saunas. Specifically, there are 2 saunas (one Turkish bath and one ordinary sauna), two big hot tubs and two swimming pools with colder water, and an outdoor pool. Babies do not have a separate pool. In our family there are no babies anymore, but I just mention it.

For smaller children there are waists and some toys which they can take in the water. Also, there is a cafe where you can buy drinks, snacks and sweets and add them to your hotel bill, so you don´t have to take money with you. For hotel guests the SPA visit is free, and you can go between your room and SPA as many times as you wish during a day. Estella Elisheva (10) used this opportunity repeatedly and even before the sleeping time went to swim.

A small iPad and TV pause after a warm and pleasant SPA and before we went to discover Naantali.

As you can see from the map, Naantali is a tiny place – everything is close. It is easy to walk from hotel to Naantali´s old town, but if you want, you can also take a little train. We chose to walk. There are very many beautiful houses in Naantali, it is a pleasure to walk. My first emotion was – we will move here! Haha.. but let me tell you… I almost always have this emotion when I travel in new beautiful places.

Naantali SPA second house.

Once you are in Naantali, step through Naantalin Matkailu OY (Naantalinmatkailu.fi). It is a tourist office where you can find info about absolutely everything that takes place in Naantali. Also, there are free maps, brochures, and everything else you may need – for example, you can buy tickets to various events. Naantalin Matkailu office is located in the exact center (Kaivotori 2, 21100 Naantali) and if you want to go to Moominworld or Väski Adventure island, it will be on your way there. You can buy Moominworld, Kultaranta or Vaski tickets in advance from their office if you want to avoid the queues. By the way, you can also buy a special Finnish Tammirauma “Dark Bees” honey from them!

Naantali is a delightful destination for family vacation – both children and parents have plenty to do! Summer is undoubtedly the best time to visit Naantali, but I believe that there is also very beautiful in winter time – moreover, I heard that Moomins will wake up for a week in February! 😉

xoxo,
Helena-Reet

*NordenBladet makes cooperation with Sunborn Hotels, Naantali Spa Hotel and Naantali Matakilu OY, but it does not affect my opinion and suggestions!
Photos: NordenBladet /Helena-Reet Ennet

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