Mimmi Staaf

We got to know Mimmi Staaf years ago when she ran her own interior store and upholstery shop in Midsommarkransen. Recently she, her husband Joakim, and their son Bruno, 3, left the charming Stockholm suburb to try an everyday life with sheep cuddle, gardening, and daycare-drop off- and pick up-strolls through deciduous forest.

We took a trip to their wonderful color-coordinated home at Lagnö Gård in Sörmland and curiously dug deep into their new routines and habits to see how their life transition turned out. 

Tuesday evening ends:
Now I have started to accept that I’m going to fall asleep during bedtime for Bruno at 20-21, I brush my teeth and do us both ready for bed (it’s so nice). 

Before turning off the lights:
The goal is to read a good book, but I only read kid’s books for Bruno right now. After that – a few last swipes on the phone, I guess! 

I sleep in:
Just panties is the best to feel free. And a night mask for eyes (I got addicted…)

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I share the bed with:
Joakim and Bruno, a teddy bear and a teddy cat. Often, when Joakim is coming to bed later than us, he moves Bruno to his crib by the foot of our bed, and we all sleep better. But it feels good to have him nearby.  

On my nightstand:
Glasses, water glass, a basket with a night mask, phone charger, hairband, and a big pile of kid’s books.

On my partners’s nightstand:
Earphones, phone, and another pile of kid’s books.

The first thing I see:
A roof falling down in my head, hehe no… But we have a sloped ceiling, and I’m not a fan of it, but I’m getting used to it. I love nature and the view outside our house and from the bedroom window/balcony. Every morning (during the seasons when the sun is up in the morning), I take a moment looking out to take in the weather and season. 

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My best tip for a good night’s sleep:
The best feeling I know is to have new sheets, fluffed up pillows and duvets, take a bath or shower, use an all-over body scrub and that whole extra long routine, finish with a foot bath/treatment ending by putting your feet in plastic bags full of cream and oil, put on socks, wear all evening in the sofa and get snacks served to you by your family. Then remove the bags and towel dry the feet, put a thin layer of lavender oil all over body…then right in the oven! … Ehm crawl up in bed, I mean. And the windows should have been open, so the room is all fresh and crisp. 

Keeps me awake:
Not much. I mostly handle hard feelings and problems by sleeping even more and can fall asleep almost everywhere. But I can have a hard time sleeping if I don’t get enough space in the bed. I have to roll over to my side and have to be fully covered by the duvet like a banana. But wait, actually windy weather and full moon often make me sleep badly, especially storms after moving to the house. I’m afraid that a tree will fall over the house. 

My version of counting sheep:
Going out on the balcony and literally counting them! 

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My version of counting sheep?

Going out on the balcony and literally counting them.

– Mimmi Staaf

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My best midnight snack:
Always ice cream or „havreboll“ (an oat pastry) on the sofa, the few nights I manage to get up after putting baby B to sleep, or if Jocke has the evening shift. 

I last dreamt about:
That my mother, my hairdresser and boss opened a new restaurant?!

My evening beauty routine:
Cleansing face with Tolerance Extreme followed by night creme Cicalfate Repair – both from Avène. Brush teeth… that’s it!

Favorite bedroom feature:
Our new bed lights and the glass lamp Mo, giving such cozy light and character to the room. The lightning is so essential to get that relaxed feeling when doing your bedtime routines.

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Wednesday morning starts:
When we first moved here, I worked in Stockholm and had to get up by 05.30, but now I don’t so it’s a bit calmer not to have to catch a train. I wake up around 06.30-07.00 and often have a little bit of time on my own, or well, feed and cuddle with our cat Saffran, and right now we also have 11 chickens living in our“ glass porch,“ so also say hi to them, give them some snacks and then prepare breakfast and wake the rest of the family up.

My alarm sounds like:
Some calm melody on the phone (gah, wished for years to have an alarm clock with a snooze function, to leave the phone outside the bedroom. Someday it will happen!

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My morning mood:
Mostly good! Can’t wait to start a new day. Often I begin to fix something right away before eating breakfast. I often feel good, recharged, and energized in the morning, and I love that feeling. 

Everyday breakfast:
Sandwich and milk. 

Birthday breakfast:
Oh, Joakim really spoils me, it can be pancakes, milkshakes, waffles, chocolate, fresh fruits, gifts… I love it!

A dreamy weekend morning:
I’m very pleased with the weekend mornings right now. On Saturdays Bruno often wakes me up“- Mommy it’s moooorning“ around 8.30-9, then we go down and cuddle on the sofa, eat breakfast and chill. On Sundays, I wake up a bit earlier, Bruno then usually wakes up a half hour before I go to my riding lessons a few kilometers from home at 9.30. So nice! One lazy morning and one active. 

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Morning beauty routine:
I always shower every morning when I work. I feel slow if I don’t. Then I have my fixing station in front of the tv and a portable mirror making the routine during breakfast. Avéne Thermal Spring Water is followed by serum and Skin Recovery Cream. As for makeup, I use Bare Minerals Mineral Powder, rouge/bronzer, a bit of highlighter at the cheekbones, eyeliner and mascara. 

My do’s and don’ts when making the bed:
Oh, no idea!? Are there any don’ts? Maybe the „don’t“ is to make a slim bed prison as most hotels have for some reason. Keep it free and fluffy!

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Also, seeing as circa 90% of our circle of acquaintances are dreaming of leaving the city for the countryside, we just have to ask: Was it the right decision?
Yes! Of course, everything has its pros and cons, we miss some things with the city (like people we love, best friends near, take away food, 2 minutes to the grocery store). Still, right now in our lives, it’s so precious to have calmness, nature nearby, animals, gardening (!) projects… And really, for us who rented a 2 room apartment in Midsommarkransen, it was also a choice if buying a smaller apartment in Stockholm or this house on 120 square meters and 10 hectares of land (owned together with the farms‘ small housing cooperative) with all the benefits that come along… I really longed for a house and a garden! But of course, on some dark days in November, you miss the city and the chance to be spontaneous… and a sunny spring day in May when you cuddle with the lambs, you don’t…!

Also another thing I would like to mention… I really am happy that we moved in on this farm, where we have our neighbors. I knew I would miss people and a context when we decided to move from Midsommarkransen. I had my business there for 7 years, knew a lot of people and had a strong bond to the area and the community. When we talked about the countryside (from the beginning we dreamed about building our own house) I thought it should be located „all alone“ with distance to neighbors. But lucky enough, we did the opposite in the end. I enjoy having a farm together with neighbors! We have a „fixing“ day each month with fika or sausage grilling together outside, and we are taking care of the sheep together (each family has a weekday of responsibility). I think this is so good when you have kids, to see them building relationships with other people from different generations and let them grow up in a community…“ It takes a village…“ and all that. It’s a nice feeling having people around. 

Text by Antonia af Petersens

Photo by Mikael Lundblad

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