Etikett: ADHD in everyday life

Sometimes a motorhome weekend in Sweden begins long before the engine starts.
That’s the case this time – with freshly washed curtains, a living room that suddenly feels more harmonious, and a weekend waiting to be filled with both stillness and small adventures.

For those of you who follow my blog, the week has also brought other reflections – from the latest part of the Oskar Series to my post on ADHD in Everyday Life – Burnt Butter, Wardrobe Projects and Brave Steps. And did you know I now blog in both Swedish and English? Read this post in Swedish → På väg mot stillhet – en husbilshelg i Sverige och tankar längs vägen

The Journey That Began Yesterday

Even though we haven’t left the driveway yet, the motorhome weekend in Sweden really began yesterday. Not with driving away, but with those small preparations that set the tone.
I put a few things into the motorhome – nothing big, but still the bits that needed to be in place.

Then I decided to buy curtains. Fresh, new curtains. And not only that – I also decided to wash them before they had even been hung. My poor husband had to help, even though he was tired after work. But now they’re up in the living room, and the whole space feels different.

New green curtains in the living room, hung while still damp to dry straight, with plants and a cat tree in front of the windows.

New curtains – hung straight from the washing machine. Damp curtains dry neatly and let in just the right amount of light.

Grandma’s table now stands neatly with a cloth in the same fabric. No piles, no sketchpads – just a bare, beautiful table. It’s a rare feeling, as that table is usually both a dumping ground and an art desk. But today I decided: if I want to draw, I’ll go down to the basement and bring up my art supplies. This way, we won’t have corners of the house turning into workspaces whenever the mood strikes.

Freshly cleaned dining table with a green tablecloth, neatly set without clutter – ready for the weekend’s motorhome trip. — Clean table before the motorhome weekendGrandma’s table – for once without piles or sketchpads. Ready for a weekend with more calm than clutter.

Dining table covered with everyday items – magazines, pens, cereal container, and art supplies – as it usually looks. — This is how the table usually looks – full of everyday life and ongoing projects.

New Curtains, New Calm

We even got new curtains in the bedroom. Freshly washed and still damp when I hung them – my trick to avoid ironing. They dry straight and smooth in place, and the room suddenly feels both lighter and fresher.

However, this post isn’t really about curtains – it’s about the fact that we’re heading off today.

Back to Hanatorp

We simply couldn’t get enough of Hanatorp, so we’re taking another trip there. My husband’s brother is there, and they wanted to spend some time together. I don’t know what “cousin vitamin” has planned for the weekend, but if they’re there, they’ll definitely get a hello.

Since this is the last weekend before school starts, it feels extra special to get away. After this, it’ll just be Fridays or Saturdays, depending on how tired everyone is.

The Weekend Plan

This weekend, I intend to enjoy myself. Relax. Blog. And, of course, keep developing the Oskar Series. Perhaps I’ll add a few lines here and there, somewhere between my coffee cup and the evening sunset.

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A Question for You

Where do you find your stillness?
By the sea, at a campsite, on the sofa with a cup of tea – or perhaps when you give yourself permission to simply be?
Share in the comments; I’d love to hear from you.

Reflection

It’s strange how small things can change the feeling of an entire home.
A pair of new curtains, a clear table – and suddenly it feels like I’ve made more space, not just in the room but in my mind as well. This weekend, I want to take that feeling with me on the road. To let it remind me that sometimes it only takes small changes to set life in a new direction.

Between the Lines – My Voice

This isn’t really about curtains, Hanatorp, or even the motorhome.
It’s about creating space for what matters. About choosing less clutter so I can enjoy the present more. And about giving myself time – both at home and while traveling – to simply breathe.

”Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now – this is where life happens.” – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

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An ADHD Day with Burnt Butter, Wardrobe Races, and Brave Steps

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 13 augusti 2025

i ADHD och neurodivergens, År inlägg 2025, Vardag & familjeliv

It starts quietly. Coffee, cat food, a thank-you to the universe. Then – as if an invisible signal goes off – the day explodes. Tasks tumble over each other, projects are started and grow, dinner burns, the laundry calls from the balcony, and the wardrobe gets a complete makeover without a single plan. One of those ADHD-in-everyday-life days, where stress and creative joy run side by side – ending with the feeling of having dared something new.

Läs det här på svenska →ADHD i vardagen – bränt smör, garderobsprojekt, modiga steg

A Day That Started with Oskar

Yesterday was filled with both words and coffee. I published the first part of the Oskar Series – a text that had been waiting to meet you. The rest of the day went into small household chores, but in the back of my mind, Oskar and his world were always present.

Blyertsteckning av en flicka som sitter ihopkrupen med armarna runt benen, en bild som uttrycker inneslutenhet, sårbarhet och behov av trygghet." — En av mina egna blyertsteckningar – för mig symboliserar den hur ett barn kan dra sig undan när världen blir för mycket. I Oskar-serien vill jag visa att bakom varje tystnad finns en berättelse vi behöver lyssna på

One of my own pencil drawings – for me, it symbolizes how a child can withdraw when the world becomes too much. In the Oskar Series, I want to show that behind every silence there’s a story we need to listen to.

Morning Ritual and ADHD Energy

Here I am again. My coffee is still warm and the morning has just begun. My morning ritual: feed the little cat, make my coffee, and thank the universe for giving me one more day on this earth. Thankful for having what I need – and a little more.

Looking back, I feel grateful for the energy that filled me yesterday. That special energy that only comes sometimes. When ADHD kicks in. When your body tingles with “I’ll just fix this one thing” – and suddenly, you’re in the middle of something entirely different.

ADHD in Everyday Life – One of Many Piles that Grow

KonMari and an Unexpected Wardrobe Race

Socks shouldn’t scream from inside the drawer, the method says. They should be folded.

A few weeks ago, I started using the KonMari method for folding clothes. We use it in the motorhome, but now I’ve also done it in my own dresser. Yesterday, I decided to just fix a little in my husband’s sock drawer.

But before that, I had already washed bed linens and hung duvets and pillows out on the balcony. Somewhere in between, I got stuck making a TikTok video. It took time – my English is hopeless – but I did it. A little wrong, but that’s another story.

Back to the wardrobe. And suddenly “a little” had become “everything.” Work clothes, base layers, sweaters – all lying in piles on the floor. I scrubbed the drawers, added lavender sachets, folded clothes carefully. Folded, folded, and folded again until the wardrobe looked like a furnished room.

Burnt Butter and Too Many Things at Once

Then – the next impulse. Vacuum the beds. Flip the mattresses. Vacuum every corner. But then it hit me – dinner!

Butter in the frying pan, quickly fetch the laundry that had been dry for a long time. Back inside – and the butter wasn’t golden brown, it was black. Burnt. Smoky. Typical. New butter in the pan, onions in, potatoes and everything that was going to be our hash.

I started carrying in pillows from the balcony while frying eggs. That’s when Lillfia came and asked if she should help me carry in the bed linens. I said yes – feeling both grateful and warm in my heart.

From Dinner to Wrapping Presents

Beds done, food done – and just as I sat down, I heard my husband’s car in the driveway. After dinner, we talked about smelly shoes that needed to be thrown away.

We went into town, bought new ones, stopped at the pharmacy, and then at Dollarstore. There, I filled a whole bag with birthday presents for Emilia. It took two hours to wrap them all with paper and small ribbons. A little bag filled with presents I hope she’ll like.

Bravery in the Small Things

When the evening came, I realized I had actually dared. Not something big like jumping from a cliff, but making a TikTok video in English – despite the fear. That’s bravery to me.

Between the Lines – What Stayed with Me All Day

All day, I carried a thought: that we often miss what’s not being said. Sometimes it’s not the words that tell the most, but small signals – a glance, a shoulder relaxing, a small movement.

This applies to the children I write about in the Oskar Series, but also to us adults. Many of us carry invisible stories. Maybe that’s why I write – to remind myself (and maybe you) that we need to dare to see beyond the surface.

Reflection

Yesterday was a day of high pulse, many tracks, and a mix of chaos and joy. ADHD in everyday life can feel overwhelming, but it also holds a kind of magic – the ability to see the world in several directions at once. And maybe it’s there, in the unpredictable, that the most valuable moments hide.

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What do you think?
Do you recognize that the important things are often found between the lines?

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