The Lykke Charm blog

Fall break buddy 🍂 (who would rather walk than be pushed in the stroller, thank you very much)

This weekend we went troll hunting 👀🔎 and we found one! Her name is Hilltop Trine. This was my first time visiting one of the Six Forgotten Giants and it was such a fun family outing. And this giant hamster wheel nearby was a bonus ⭐️ We definitely plan to go visit some more giants soon!

Have you visited these wooden giants? Which ones are your favorites?

My little explorer (and his very nervous mom) 🫣

Reklame | Ice cream sandwich sznnnnn ☀️🍪🍦I made ~gluten free~ peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies using kæmpeplader (both light and dark!) and figured the only way to improve them further would be to add ice cream! I’m still perfecting this cookie recipe but these definitely didn’t disappoint 🤤

In honor of Noah’s first birthday (which was… almost a month ago 🙈) I wanted to share his/my birth story. I hesitated to share it after he was born because a) I was still processing 😵‍💫 and b) it’s really personal! But I always wanted to share it, because I read so many birth stories when I was pregnant, and I valued and appreciated them so much. And I still love reading & hearing birth stories now, because bringing new life into the world never becomes less incredible to me. So for anyone interested, my birth story is on the blog now (though be warned, it’s probably the longest post I’ve ever written 😂). A year after the fact (having had time to process now), I still look back on that day with pride and amazement that I DID THAT. 👊🏻 So why shouldn’t I share? 🥰

Reklame | A babyproofed balcony + endless summer nights = dessert picnics after the baby's asleep! 🍫🍓🍪 Tonight's spread included the new Jordbær P-tærte from Carletti

When you’re at a wedding but also it’s nap time 😅 This felt like a fitting picture to remember the weekend by. We went to England for a wedding, which was beautiful and so much fun! But attending with a baby also meant a carrier nap during the ceremony, and leaving the party early for bedtime 😴 we’re not as fun as we used to be 😜

This weekend was also my birthday, so we made it a long weekend and headed into London for our last day/night. I loveeee London, so I was happy to have a chance to go even though it was a super short visit!It felt like we fit so much into just a few days and it was such a nice little weekend away 🥰

4 years ago today, I landed in Copenhagen with no return ticket (I had to assure the passport control agent that I would be applying for a visa within 90 days, do not worry!!!)

Of course, every year I can't help but reflect on how much moving to Denmark has changed my life (for the better... mostly 😝). But this year is one that I know would have been vastly different if I were still in the US. I am so grateful that I got to be in Denmark to have my first child and for this first year of his life. I got to take a year+ maternity leave and spend every day with him (which at times has been extremely draining, tbh, but still... grateful!!! 😅). I had the time to make mom friends that I value so much, something I'm not sure I would have been able to do if I'd been in the US and would have gone back to work much sooner. I've been able to focus on the important things in this first year of parenthood, and not worry about paying for hospital bills from birth, pediatric care, or day care. (And I've also developed a new level of empathy for American parents who do not have the same experiences.)

And I've been able to share it here with y'all, something I'm sure I wouldn't be doing if I were still in the US... because honestly, I don't think I would be that interesting if not for the fact that I am an immigrant here 🙈 But I definitely would never have taken the leap of posting on social media, blogging, speaking Danish ON CAMERA for thousands of people to see... and all of that feels like an accomplishment, as well!!

So thank you for following along and making this 4th year in Denmark even better. I have high hopes for year 5 🇩🇰🥰💕

My name is Ilana and I like long walks in the woods with my stroller (and my baby, too). My full review of our Fox2 is on the blog now! Of course, if you follow me then you probably already know I love it, but in the blog post I explain why it was such a great fit for us. Link in bio!

Reminiscing on old photos of Noah because Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 8 (AND he is turning 1 in like a month. I can’t 🥹). So, I put together a gift guide for the mom in your life 💕(if you *are* the mom in your life, maybe leave it subtly pulled up on your laptop for someone to find…). One of my suggestions is to schedule a family photo shoot, like this one that we had with in September. Of course, this holiday isn’t about the gifts, but they never hurt 😉 The gift guide is live on the blog now (link in bio!).

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My honest review of the slyngevugge is live on the blog now! (Link in bio.) Slyngevugger, these bouncing baby hammocks, are WILDLY popular in Denmark. We heard only good things before we bought ours. And honestly, it was a LIFESAVER during the newborn period, but my recommendation comes with some caveats. Read the whole review on the blog 🤭 (Also, this picture takes me back to when he used to nap for 2 hours straight every morning and I had time to work out. Lol.)

Disclaimer: We paid for our slyngevugge ourselves and I am in no way affiliated with .

Love a long holiday weekend, especially when it comes with good weather ☀️ My family never celebrated Easter (Chag Sameach to everyone celebrating Passover instead! 💙), but when in Denmark…! Easter is a big deal here, and (like Christmas) many people celebrate even if they are not religious at all. We had a lovely, hyggeligt weekend including a påskefrokost (Easter lunch) with my husband’s family. Hope you all had a great weekend! (And if you were wondering, the chocolates are gone. It took 2 days.) 🐣💐

The happiest day at the happiest place 🤩💐 (and ngl, I didn’t even get close to finishing that massive glass of wine 🙈)

**new blog post!** In Texas, I was an “iced coffee year round” gal, but now that I live somewhere that actually gets cold in the winter, I wait until it’s actually warm…er. Or at least sunny. It doesn’t even have to be warm. But anyway… iced coffee season is here!! And I’ve got a new blog post up (for the first time in foreverrrrr) with all the things I’m looking forward to this spring/summer ☀️ and really I think I’ll be getting one of these like, every week, so add that to the list. (If you missed my stories, this is an iced latte with caramel sauce from and it is 💯). Link in bio for the blog post!

Can’t have anything to myself these days 😜

Baby’s first aquarium visit 🐠 Last week, we tried to go to the aquarium, but didn’t realize they were using time slots 🤦🏻‍♀️ so they were sold out for the next hour when we got there. This time, we went all in and got annual cards, so we can go anytime without having that issue or needing to plan in advance 😎 (Side note: the aquarium is called “The Blue Planet,” which I think is cute 💙)

Helloooo hello, long time no post! Where did the winter go?? I’ve been spending the last few weeks eating as many fastelavnsboller as I can get my hands on before they’re gone. For the uninitiated, fastelavnsboller are Danish pastries that are only available in the weeks leading up to Fastelavn , which Google tells me is “Shrove Tuesday” in English? I’d never heard of it before coming to Denmark, but it’s a big deal here! Aside from the pastries, kids dress up in costumes and hit a barrel with candy in it, like a piñata. I had to take a small hiatus from the pastry hunt when we all came down with Covid a couple weeks ago, but it’s full steam ahead for the rest of Feb!! So far my favorite fastelavnsboller are from and but really… they’re all good. AND!!! Along the way I discovered that .pedersbageriogkonditori has AMERICAN STYLE CINNAMON ROLLS! And they are GOOOOOOD. Run, don’t walk there if you prefer a cinnamon roll to a kanelsnegle (yes yes, they’re good too).

A little late on this post, but Noah is 4 months old and more of a charmer every day! 🥰 He is exceptionally good at blowing spit bubbles and raspberries, and we are so proud. 🏆 I’m pretty sure he blows spit bubbles on purpose to make us laugh, which is v cute (and we definitely laugh every time). He’s also becoming more social! He notices other babies and tries to “chat” all the time. And we know he loves the sound of his own voice because he never stops talking to himself when he is *supposed* to be napping 🙃

Get yourself a friend who will cut your pizza into bite size pieces while you rock your fussy baby to sleep in a restaurant so you can at least *taste* the food before it gets cold 🙃

3 months with Noah! 🥰 He’s starting to seem less like a helpless newborn, and more like a little tiny person. He loves music & when we sing to him (we alternate between Raffi and Disney), gets super chatty whenever it’s time for him to sleep (smart kid), and spends all day trying to eat his hands (his sleeves were um, gross by the end of this little shoot). And I love him more every day 🥺❤️

Someone on TikTok kindly told me (twice!!) that the vaccine only works if I post about it on all of my socials, so clearly my second shot called for a portrait mode photo shoot!! Do your thing, Moderna!!!

In all seriousness, I’m thrilled & relieved to be fully vaccinated, even though the side effects were no joke 🥴 Pregnant & breastfeeding women were the very last group to be offered the vaccine in Denmark, and I signed up as soon as I was eligible. Grateful for safe & effective vaccines, and that I can pass on antibodies to our little guy 🥰

70% of the Danish population is now fully vaccinated (80% over age 12), and the government is lifting all remaining Covid restrictions in September. (Danish residents, how are y’all feeling about that?!) I’m a little conflicted, but hoping this really will be a return to life as normal, without any more lockdowns 🙏🏻

PS: That guy blocked me 😭💔

**Translation of the comment: “Remember Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Snapchat, Ekstrabladet (a newspaper), etc. Otherwise the vaccine doesn’t work 🤦🏼‍♂️”

ICYMI, I wrote a blog post a while ago (like, before Noah was born!) with reviews of allllll the baby books I read while pregnant. But I totally forgot to mention it here! These ⬆️ are a few of the books that I found the most helpful and would recommend to other expecting parents, and there are more on the blog 🤓

Parents and parents-to-be out there, which books would you add?? 📚