My favourite life-changing products of 2017
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
2017 is almost over, and I really wanted to share some things that I have been loving throughout the year with you! These might seem random or not work for everyone, but I truly love all these products and maybe some of you will, too!
Christmas market season
Sunday, 3 December 2017
One of my favourite parts about the beginning of December is the opening of Christmas markets. There is something so cosy and festive about them. The mulled wine, the snacks, the music... even though I usually hate crowded places, I'll always make an exception for Christmas markets.
We went to the Christmas market at La Défense in Paris as soon as it opened and took a couple of pictures that I wanted to share!
I'm really curious to know if you guys have Christmas markets in your country as well?
7 signs that you can't cook
Sunday, 26 November 2017
I've lived alone a couple of times in my life. When I studied in Paris and actually had an apartment to myself, I was mostly eating pasta with goat cheese. Like, every other day. I did try to be healthy and cook vegetables as well, but I have to admit that it never really tasted right (goat cheese helped).
Then I moved to Oxford where my lovely flatmates usually invited me to eat with them. And for the past 3 and a half years, I have been living with Matt who (thankfully) is a pretty good cook. Hence I find myself in a dilemma: whenever he is out of town, I see myself forced to actually try and make myself something to eat...
And so, while searching for an easy recipe online, I got inspired to do write this post: 7 signs that you are really bad at cooking. And here we go:
5 reasons to love the cold
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Whenever winter is right around the corner, and especially on a cold, rainy day, everyone around me seems to be complaining about the horrible weather. It's such a common opinion that whenever I dare to disagree - or even confess that I actually really love this kind of weather - I get looked at like an alien. I mean, I get it. The cold is not exactly inviting you to go outside. But let's talk about the positive sides of this season, shall we?
I've been obsessed with this for the past couples of weeks! Oddly enough, I had never tried it before, but seeing pictures all over the internet has finally pushed me to buy some marshmallows. And let me tell you, I didn't know what I was missing all these years! To compensate for that, I'm probably adding way too many marshmallows now...
In summer, everyone expects you to go outside and enjoy the nice weather, when all I actually want to do is stay inside, right in front of a ventilator (air conditioning inside your house it not really a thing here in Europe), eat frozen anything and most of all, avoid any movement to keep as cool as possible. While I'm probably a vampire and most people don't feel this way, you have to agree that there's something nice and cosy about staying in without being judged for it, watching Netflix and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows (just saying...).
Okay, it's true, I'm absolutely obsessed with jumpers and will use any excuse to wear one. But it's not just that! Any item of winter clothing is more comfortable than their summer equivalent. I very gladly switch my ballet flats and sandals to boots and sneakers once it gets colder, and the same goes for jackets: winter coats can be soft, furry and comfy, while summer jackets.. well, I wouldn't know, because I would be way too hot if I wore a jacket in the summer!
Nothing makes a room feel more cosy that cushions, blankets and fairy lights. They're such an inexpensive way to decorate your home, but they make a world of a difference. Plus, they add perfect lighting to a comfy Netflix night with marshmallow hot chocolate...😉
If Christmas was happening in June, it would definitely not be the same! How could you not love the festive season with it's decorations, treats and family dinners? Aren't Christmas markets and mulled wine the nicest thing ever? Don't you love going gift shopping for family and friends?
I'm not going to lie, I love the pre-Christmas season way more than anything after New Year's. Why won't they leave Christmas markets open until March, anyway?
1. Drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows
I've been obsessed with this for the past couples of weeks! Oddly enough, I had never tried it before, but seeing pictures all over the internet has finally pushed me to buy some marshmallows. And let me tell you, I didn't know what I was missing all these years! To compensate for that, I'm probably adding way too many marshmallows now...
2. Netflix days on the couch are actually acceptable
In summer, everyone expects you to go outside and enjoy the nice weather, when all I actually want to do is stay inside, right in front of a ventilator (air conditioning inside your house it not really a thing here in Europe), eat frozen anything and most of all, avoid any movement to keep as cool as possible. While I'm probably a vampire and most people don't feel this way, you have to agree that there's something nice and cosy about staying in without being judged for it, watching Netflix and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows (just saying...).
3. Cosy clothes
Okay, it's true, I'm absolutely obsessed with jumpers and will use any excuse to wear one. But it's not just that! Any item of winter clothing is more comfortable than their summer equivalent. I very gladly switch my ballet flats and sandals to boots and sneakers once it gets colder, and the same goes for jackets: winter coats can be soft, furry and comfy, while summer jackets.. well, I wouldn't know, because I would be way too hot if I wore a jacket in the summer!
4. Decorating your place with fairy lights
Nothing makes a room feel more cosy that cushions, blankets and fairy lights. They're such an inexpensive way to decorate your home, but they make a world of a difference. Plus, they add perfect lighting to a comfy Netflix night with marshmallow hot chocolate...😉
5. The Holiday season and Christmas markets
If Christmas was happening in June, it would definitely not be the same! How could you not love the festive season with it's decorations, treats and family dinners? Aren't Christmas markets and mulled wine the nicest thing ever? Don't you love going gift shopping for family and friends?
I'm not going to lie, I love the pre-Christmas season way more than anything after New Year's. Why won't they leave Christmas markets open until March, anyway?
The truth about sharing an apartment with a cat
Sunday, 12 November 2017
When I decided to get a cat in Paris, a lot of people were telling me not to. For various reasons. Our apartment was too small, it would smell really bad, we didn't have enough room for the litter box, we didn't have enough time... I heard it all, but when Matt and I got the possibility to save a little kitten, we didn't hesitate for a second. And let me tell you, I don't regret this decision at all!
So, let me address some of the most common stereotypes about cats:
So, let me address some of the most common stereotypes about cats:
The book is always better than the movie
Sunday, 5 November 2017
There’s two types of people in the world… book lovers and those who aren’t. I’m totally the person to always prefer the book over the movie, to read until the middle of the night only to realise that I have 2 hours left to sleep, and to get so obsessed with a certain story that I reread it right after I finished it, because I’m not ready to let go.
7 signs that your boyfriend/husband is coming down with a cold
Sunday, 29 October 2017
The fist signs started appearing about two weeks ago. From there, it just got worse. And within a couple of days, it all turned into a disaster: my usually very-fun-to-live-with boyfriend turned into a whiny mess of complaint and exaggeration. His diagnosis? Probable death in the next two hours. My analysis? Yep, you guessed right (and the title of this post kind of gave me away, too): a cold.
The pros and cons of living abroad
Sunday, 22 October 2017
There is studying abroad - a very fun and rewarding experience where you get to know a foreign culture and make tons of new friends - and then there is moving abroad for good, which is a whole other experience. I have done both, and while studying in France and the UK has altogether made for some amazing memories, moving to France and working here for the past three years has had many ups and downs that I did not anticipate.
1. You experience the foreign culture in a whole different way
When you study abroad for six month or a year, you're always a tourist in some way. Just knowing that you're only there for a limited amount of time makes you experience everything in a curious, positive way. You get to know new things, but you take them in as an outsider. When you actually live in a new country for a long time, you learn even more and actually get to be part of the culture. But this also means that you need to adapt. Because at some point, people stop looking at you like a visitor and expect you to act in a way that is normal to them. After three years, people at work expect me to master the French language just as well as anyone else - and look at me funny whenever I don't understand a word.
2. You will miss your own country, no matter how many advantages your new home has
No matter how great French cheese and wine is - I got over it after the first few months and have been craving German muesli and potato based meals ever since. This isn't limited to food though - even though French healthcare is so much cheaper than the German one, I still miss all the advantages I used to have when living in Germany (not paying your doctor in cash, for example). And the funny thing is - I know that I would feel the same way if I were to move back to Germany. I would definitely be missing not paying half of my salary for insurance!
3. Family and friends at home won't understand every aspect of your new life
Since German and French cultures are pretty similar, this mostly concerns little things, but they're still pretty noticeable. For example in France, there is a thing called PACS - a sort of marriage, but not as binding and much easier to end. So when Matt and I got PACSed almost two years ago, no one from home really understood what it was, while Matt's family got us gifts and took it very seriously (it was pretty weird to me - but who doesn't like gifts? ;) ).
4. At one point, you'll just start mixing every language you know
...or maybe you won't and that's just me. But ever since I moved to France, I speak French at work, Russian with my parents, German with my friends and watch Netflix or read books in English (because it's pretty difficult to get German books over here). I pretty much don't know any language anymore and Matt and I speak in a horrible mixture of all four. Which is mostly the reason why I'm writing my blog in English - somehow it has become my go-to language for anything not work related...
All in all, living abroad is a great experience, but you have to really want it in order for it to work. It does take some effort, and especially the first few months are truly not a walk in the park (getting a social security number took me 10 months and countless calls and appointments). When I moved to France to live with Matt, I did not at all expect it to be so different from studying here. It has its great moments, a lot of difficult parts, and I still really, really miss German Christmas markets. ;)
5 activities for rainy days
Sunday, 15 October 2017
As soon as we get to mid-September, the temperature starts cooling down and everyone becomes much more inclined to spend time inside rather than going out. Add rain into the mixture and you'll soon be looking for fun ways to spend a cosy day inside your house.
I'm not gonna lie, I love rainy days for cosy and chill activities with friends and family, and I wanted to share my favourite ones with you today.
I'm not gonna lie, I love rainy days for cosy and chill activities with friends and family, and I wanted to share my favourite ones with you today.
Outfit planning for busy days
Sunday, 8 October 2017
We probably all know these days where you have a thousand things to do and feel like you don't have time for anything. And the last thing you want to do is spend hours in front of your closet, wondering what to wear, because you really just want to keep on your pyjamas.
To be honest, this is basically me all the time. Thankfully, I have worked out a little routine when it comes to picking out my clothes in order to prevent minor break downs every single morning. And I would like to share it with you in this post:
Weird British things you need to keep in mind when travelling there
Sunday, 1 October 2017
The day I moved to the UK ended up being a minor catastrophy. All went well until I landed in London Heathrow airport and got on the bus to Oxford. Then, nothing worked for me anymore. No matter how hard I tried, I could not understand what the bus driver was saying to me. I tried cooking, but the stove just wouldn't get hot. My bathroom somehow had a European plug, but my toothbrush wouldn't fit it. And don't even get me started on how hard it was to find my way to and back from classes.
Most of it was just due to me being dumb, or having the worst orientation sense in the world. But some things could have been prevented if I had done my research properly. And that's my reason for making a list of all the things you should keep in mind when visiting the UK for the first time (or moving there, like I did):
Sweater weather: 5 types of sweaters to get you through fall and winter
Sunday, 24 September 2017
I'm so excited to wear sweaters again. I feel like everyone loves summer so much and enjoys the warm weather, while I secretly crave to unpack all my winter gear once we get to July. I'd love to live somewhere like Iceland where you get to wear winter clothes almost all year round!
That being said, I have quite an impressive collection of sweaters to fit my obsession with cold weather. And since they're basically my best friends and I've missed them so very much for the past couple of months, I wanted to share my favourite types of sweaters with you!
That being said, I have quite an impressive collection of sweaters to fit my obsession with cold weather. And since they're basically my best friends and I've missed them so very much for the past couple of months, I wanted to share my favourite types of sweaters with you!
Another way to see London (if it's not your first time)
Sunday, 17 September 2017
I've been to London multiple times while I was studying in Oxford. Sometimes it was for shopping, seeing a show, or doing some sort of weird activity I found on the internet (vampire conference, anyone?). That was usually with my roommate or on my own, and I didn't use the time to actually visit the city.
Other times, my family, boyfriend or friends from home would come to visit me and that's when we would do all the sight seeing. Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe... we've all heard these names, and a lot of us have seen these places. Sight seeing is a great way to discover London for the very first time. But it doesn't have to stop there: especially when you're going there a second, third or, in my case, probably the twenty fifth time, you might be interested in seeing different parts of the city.
SheIn - My new go-to for affordable fashion
Sunday, 10 September 2017
This is the second time I am writing this post. Do you want to know why? Well, originally I only allowed myself to test out SheIn so I could write a review for anyone who's interested. Since then, it has become my go-to place for affordable fashion. Quite an unexpected turn of events, right?
Not really, actually. SheIn has so many cute clothes and accessories and they are just so cheap. Throw in reliable shipping and a decent quality and I'm hooked.
Not really, actually. SheIn has so many cute clothes and accessories and they are just so cheap. Throw in reliable shipping and a decent quality and I'm hooked.
So here it goes, everything you need to know about SheIn!
What living in Paris is really like
Sunday, 3 September 2017
I feel like so many people see Paris as a dream city: a romantic place where everyone sits in cafés sipping coffee, shops all day long and finishes their days drinking wine with a view on the Seine. I mean, I get it. Paris is pretty. It sure can lure you in with its Hausmann buildings, its narrow streets and the many historical sites and museums that just scream city of art.
But as always, being a tourist and actually living in a place doesn't have the first thing in common. There are tons of guides and articles and what not about the toursity side of Paris. I also did a post about my favourite non-touristy spots here. But that's not what I want to talk about. I'm going to let you in on some less pretty details of living here. Not that it's all negative - it's not. There are tons of reasons to love living here, and this article shouldn't be taken too seriously anyway. 😉
Leather skirts for summer & other reasonable fashion choices
Sunday, 27 August 2017
So leather skirts aren't summer appropriate, right?
But then again, I've never been good at this whole wearing-the-right-clothes-in-the-right-season thing. I've always been the kid who rocked a down parka in spring because it was new and it was cool, and no mum, I'm not gonna be hot! (Still remember what a miserable sweaty mess I was at the end of the day though.) And ballet flats in the deepest winter? Sure, because they are so much cuter than those stupid boots!
No, honestly, dressing for the weather was never my strong suit. And ever since I grew up and started making at least somewhat reasonable fashion choices, I still don't agree with so many declared fashion faux-pas. (Blue and navy? My favourite colour combination of all time. And not for any other reason than I actually like how it looks.)
12 things to do as a tourist in the USA
Sunday, 20 August 2017
I feel like movies, books and series shape the images we have of the United States. We know they aren’t necessarily all true (or not anymore), but we halfway still expect them to be. There’s the image of Western movies with their cowboys, horses and old villages with wooden buildings, there are American High Schools where everyone seems to play football or be on the cheerleading team, and of course the whole history of country music centered around icons like Elvis Presley. My list is pretty much inspired by all of the above, but I hope that you’ll still find some inspiration in it!
About complicated tops & my window obsession
Sunday, 13 August 2017
Why do we have those pieces in our closet that we love, but never, ever wear? Or is this something that happens only to me?
I bought this top almost two years ago during a Zara sale, thinking that it was the prettiest thing in the whole entire world. Yet somehow, it stayed in the back of my closet, unworn, for all this time. And honestly, I don't even know why. Yes, it's pretty short. But I have tons of high waisted everything, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?
I have tried in on so many times in the morning, taken it on multiple holidays, and yet all it has seen is my closet - and suitcase - from the inside. So I told myself that I was going to make it work. I took it out yet another time, layed it out on my bed and dived into the depth of my closet, on the hunt for something that might go with it. I came back with these black and white striped shorts that I thought might work. So I got dressed, pulled out Matt's camera and made him take these pictures.
Two results came out of this photo shoot.
1- I have a serious obession with window shots and probably need to be treated.
2- I love how this top looks. I didn't even plan on making a whole post about this, but really think it's cute!
So, you would probably expect that I was wearing this shirt a ton ever since? Wrong. It's back in my closet, never to come out again. And I still just don't understand!
15 non-touristy things to do in Paris
Sunday, 6 August 2017
1. Le Marais
Le Marais is definitely my favourite part of Paris. With its narrow cobble stone streets, the numerous boutiques and vintage shops and eccentric people (at least for Parisian terms), it’s great for shopping or just going for a walk. To get there, I always take the metro 1 to Saint Paul and then turn into one of the little streets. To be honest, I’ve been there numerous times and still don’t quite know my way around (I have a terrible orientation sense), but no matter which way you turn, it’s pretty much all worth seeing.The Jewish district is also located there, as well as places des Vosges (a nice little square), and numerous falafel places. You can also go for a (huge) burger at Schwartz’s restaurant – they’re delicious and pretty unique.
3 items that I love buying in thrift shops
Sunday, 30 July 2017
I love thrift shopping for many reasons. For one, it's always a fun experience in itself, but sometimes it's actually way better than going to "normal" stores. Why? Well, you can find high quality items without straving for the rest of the month, get unique clothes or accessories without having 8 other people on public transport wearing them, and discover things that you wouldn't even find in any other store.
To me, there are particular items that are so much better to buy in thrift stores, and I thought I'd share my little guide with anyone who's interested!
To me, there are particular items that are so much better to buy in thrift stores, and I thought I'd share my little guide with anyone who's interested!
8 reasons why seeing San Francisco by car is the best idea
Sunday, 23 July 2017
After reading multiple articles, blog posts and tour guides, one recommendation seems to be given a lot: take public transportation to visit San Francisco. While that is definitely the eco-friendlier version, I personally by far preferred visiting the city by car! Here’s why:
1. It isn't more expensive
Public transport is super expensive, so taking the car doesn’t make a big difference pricewise. We stayed in San Leandro and the one-way BART ticket to San Francisco was 4.50$ per person, which can quickly add up if you’re travelling in a group. You have to pay to cross the bridges (it’s around 5$ per car, and only towards San Francisco), but you can easily park your car for free in the streets. In the city centre, there a tons of car parks, but that would cost more.
The perfect summer dress for every occasion
Sunday, 2 July 2017
I'm picky when it comes to dresses. I want them to be comfortable (above all), baggy enough so I can eat without looking 5 months pregnant, not too short, but not long either (I'm not a big fan of maxi or midi dresses on me. I know, I know, they're a huge trend and all, but I'm just not)... the list goes on.
And it gets even worse in the summer, when they can't have sleeves or else I'm too hot, they need to be cut in a way where I don't have to worry about wind, they need to be breezy... honestly, it's no wonder that I usually wear shorts.
However, I recently ordered this black dress from Asos (it's on sale here) and it's so perfect that I needed to write a whole post about it! I already wrote a post about my favourite summer finds this year, but this one deserves a special place. 😊
It's longer in the back, which means that you never need to worry about it being too short, about sitting down in gross public transport, about it flying up on windy days, or about it not being appropriate for work (my work place is super casual though, otherwise I probably wouldn't wear it there).
It's black (my favourite colour), so it goes with everything, and the material is super thin and breezy, but not see-through at all. And it's so, SO comfortable.
I'm not too sure why I included this picture here but maybe someone likes cats? |
What are your favourite pieces to wear in the summer?
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