My Monthly Goals: November 2013

1. Post 2 recipes
2. Organize my yarn
3. Write more
4. Wake up in the morning
5. Drink more tea
6. Make Christmas Cards
7. Have a Giveaway (already planned should go up on Monday)
8. Finish the 200 sit-up challenge
9. Get some lights (for filming and pictures)
10. Post 28 posts!

I am hoping that this month will do better in accomplishing my goals!

Bisous

Loving in October

October has been such a busy month, I haven't been able to read a lot of blogs or write or pretty much anything except studying. 

I hope that November will be able to be a better blogger and YouTuber! 

My October Goals:

1. Start making Christmas cards
I haven't started making the Christmas cards but I have bought some of the items that I need to make the cards!

2. Order more yarn
I haven't done this but I have been thinking about what to order, 

3. Sell all my read books
This didn't happen since I decided to do something else with these books! Something you'll be able to see on Monday!

4. Do my best on my midterm exams.
I did amazingly and I am so happy with it!


5. Work on my secret project
Yup, and it will be secret for some time now :) 


6. Start taking pictures for my shop
No, sadly I didn't start this! I need to start taking these pictures and make everything ready!


7. Post 2 recipes
I tried twice! But both times I wasn't satisfied with my pictures.

8. Write 2 posts about my 25 things before my 25th birthday
I wrote one post: 25 Things Before My 25th Birthday: 21. Have over 250 published post on my blog

9. Organize my make up table
Sadly this didn't happen, my make up area is still a big mess! 

Top 5 posts in October:

Review: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint (May 2012)
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof - #40 Violine (May 2011)
Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday (October 2013)

Weekly Grocery Shopping #3 (October 2013)

Review: Clinique BB Cream - Shade 1 (December 2012)

Bisous

Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday

It has been a long time since I stepped on the scale the last time and part of me was nervous that I had gained weight. 

However, it  was a happy moment when I saw that not only hadn't I gained weight I had lost some! As before, my weight loss is slow but slow and steady wins the race! 

Last weigh in:      79.6 kg

Today's weigh in: 79.3 kg

Wellness wise I have as well been doing pretty great. I have been good at not getting overly stressed over my midterms and in return I have been doing amazingly in my midterms! The last one will be this Friday!

My cold is finally gone and took the cough with it! It feels amazing being able to breath again! But at the same time the rainy and foggy period in Geneva has arrived with a bang but I am doing my best at staying warm and dry!

Bisous!

Weekly Grocery Shopping #3

I am so annoyed by that picture, it was taken in bad light and with my phone. Horror.

Fruit and Vegetables

Tomatoes     1.35
Onions         2.40
Limes           2.30
Mixed Salad  3.90

Dairy:

Milk (2 liters)                             3.40
Cheddar Cathedral City                4.50
Assortment of Cheese                  5.55
Cream Cheese (2x)                      4.30
Philadelphia Herbs and Garlic        2.60
M Budget Mozzarella (2x)             6.00
Mini Babybel                               2.55 (on sale)
Excellent Truffle Yogurt (4 cups)  3.80

Baked Goods:

Pan Bianco (gluten free bread) 3.40
Baguette (gluten free)              4.20
Aha! Crackers (gluten free)     5.50
Gran Pavesi Salted                  3.10
Apéro Baked Goods                7.70 (on sale)

Desserts:

Snickers (6x50g)                          2.10
Aha! Farmer Crunchy (gluten free) 3.60

Other:

Shrimps in Cocktail Sauce      4.60
Frozen Shrimps                   10.10
Pistachios                             6.90
Chorizo Picante                     7.60
Chicken breasts                   10.70 (on sale)
Beef Stew (2x)                      9.60
Lasagne                                7.70 (on sale)
Yellow Lentils                        1.90
M Budget Pickles                   3.00
Canned Tomatoes (2x)           1.80
Tom Ka Paste                        1.30
Tom Yum Paste                     1.30
Aha! Penne (gluten free pasta) 4.20
Aha! Gluten Free Flour           6.20
Noodle Soup (4x)                   4.40
Condensed Milk                     3.65

Household:

I am Natural Cosmetics Cleansing Gel    7.50

This weeks total was 164.70 CHF ($182.93/£112.79)

Last week, the food didn't last all week so we are hoping this week it will last all week. And since we spent more than 100 CHF we got as well a 2x Cumulus Points Bonus that we can use when we got to Migros next time. 

In this shopping trip we earned 1 790 Cumulus points, when turned into money is about 17 CHF. But I will talk more about the point system in another post!

Bisous

P.S. How much do you spend on your weekly shopping?

Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday

I have been thinking about the name of my Wednesday weight loss posts for some time and since I am not really working out I decided to change it into Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday!

I wanted to include wellness because for me that involves so much more than just weight loss and workouts. It includes both my mental and physical health which I believe are equally important.

I haven't stepped on the scale now for two weeks, last week because I had exams and just didn't want to think about anything else and today because I am ill and I just don't want to see discouraging numbers.

Speaking of being ill, I have had a cold now for about 3 weeks! It has gone from me being a super snotty whiny person to now a super coughy even more whinier person. Have I mentioned before how I hate being sick! I HATE IT! It just drains me, luckily this time around I have been taking extra good care of myself. I keep on drinking hot tea and I have been to the pharmacy twice to get different medicine, first I went for my all time favorite NeoCitran. If you live in Switzerland it is the best cold medicine around! THE BEST! 

It is easy to get since it is a very common cold medicine here, you don't need presciption you can just get it over the counter in pharmacies! It comes in small satchels and all you need is hot water. It tastes pretty good as well since it tastes like lemons! Perfect for when you have a cold. 

NeoCitran main three ingredients are Paracetamol, Pheniramin-Maleat and Phenylephrine. It as well has Vitamin C in it!

You are only allowed to have 3 of those bad boys a day but let me tell you they work like a charm!

So if you ever get a cold or the flu in Switzerland pick up a NeoCitran!

Somehow this post went from me changing its name to "how to survive in Switzerland with a cold" type of post!

Anyhow, I'll definitely weigh myself next week!

Bisous 

Review: Migros - I am Natural Cosmetics - Rose Cleansing Milk for Dry and Sensitive Skin

I have had a big debate with myself if I should write this review or not, it isn't that this is a negative review it is more that this review is based on strange personal preferences that just aren't to everyone's liking.

However, I decided to write about the I am Natural Rose Cleansing Milk for Dry and Sensitive Skin known as Reinigungsmilch - trockene und sensible Haut - sanfte Reinigung in German and Lait Démaquillant - peaux sèches et sensibles - nettoyage douceur in French. I decided to write about it because even with my personal preference I can still talk about the product without being biased! 

On the back of the bottle it says (translated from German)

Gentle cleansing milk with wild roses-, marigold- and sweet wood extracts from controlled organic cultivation for dry and sensitive skin. Removes makeup, dirt particles, and excess oil. Organic shea butter and sunflower oil nurture and protect the skin from drying out.

Usage: Gently massage into the skin, remove with a damp cotton pad, clarify the skin with Facial Toner

When I picked up the bottle in the store, the description was what made me buy it. The scent of it is as well amazing, it smells so calming and with a hint of rose.

It removes all my make-up and even the mascara without me having to scrub hard and it doesn't dry out my skin at all.

But with all that amazingness, I still can't stand this product! I think it is because it is a cleansing milk, I just don't like cleansing milks. Cleansing milks just gross me out and I feel uncomfortable using them! I don't know why but that is really the only reason I don't like this product.

Do you like cleansing milks?

Bisous

Friday Favorites and Flops #4

So I was ready to post this last night (on a Friday) but I came late home from work so I just went to sleep. So this weeks Friday Favorites and Flops went up on Saturday!  

Favorites:

*I kicked ass on my exams.

*Our kitchen is finally clean, it takes such a long time to wash all the dishes and clean the kitchen since it is very small and unorganized but it is starting to shape up.

Flops:

*I still have a cold, it has turned into a couch and it is annoying.

*I haven't been blogging, it frustrates me since I love blogging. 

*Out apartment isn't clean, I want it to be clean. 

Even though it looks like the week wasn't that good it actually was pretty great! I'm very happy with the week and I am sure this week won't be bad either. Happy days ahead! 

Bisous 

Weekly Grocery Shopping #2

I decided to change the title of this post from Weekly Food Shopping to Weekly Grocery Shopping and just add the other things we actually buy at the grocery store. You can see my previous Weekly Grocery Shopping here. 

I decided this time to organize the items I bought into groups. 

Vegetables: 

Celery            2.35
Corn salad      3.20 (on sale)
Green Onions 1.90
Cucumber      1.70
Potatoes         3.90 

Dairy: 

Butter                                                                  3.10
Half Cream (pack of 3)                                          3.05
Cream                                                                  1.65
M Budget Mozzarella                                             3.00
Cheddar Cathedral City                                          4.50
Sour Cream (two packs)                                        5.30
Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Garlic and Herbs      2.60
Excellent Truffle Yogurt (4 cups)                            3.80
Milk (1 liter)                                                          1.70 

 Desserts:

Flan Chocolate (6 pack)     2.50 (on sale)
Snickers 6x50g                 2.10 

Other: 

Aha! Penne (Gluten Free pasta)    4.20
Pane Bianco (Gluten Free bread)   3.40
M Budget Pickles                        3.00
Beef Stew                                  4.80
M Classic Coca Cola Syrup          5.10
Berry Syrup                                3.00

Household: 

Toilet Paper 24 rolls                        13.00 (on sale)
I am Natural Cosmetics Body Lotion  6.00 (on sale)

 The total this week was 88.85 CHF ($97.65/£61.22) 

While there are things on here that will last us more than a week, there are as well things that we will need to buy again next week. We didn't buy any fruits this week since we still have some from last week that we need to eat. We as well have way to much of other things so I have to start using up what we have! 

I as well only bought four things that were on sale, I usually buy more and I want to try to buy much more on sale. Sadly the gluten free stuff is never on sale! 

What I like about doing these posts is too see the price change as well, in April, the Philadelphia Cheese was 30 cents more than this week! Something I never would have noticed!

I might write more posts on how I try to stay on budget when grocery shopping in Switzerland, since groceries are really expensive here! 

Bisous.

Friday Favorites and Flops #3

Favorites:

* We finally bought a new vacuum cleaner, it is magical. 

* Everything is ready for my exams (I was worried since I send it my papers late but everything went perfectly)

*Pumpkin Spice Latte 

*Amazing things in the Pink Box (post will go up tomorrow, I have just been studying)

Flops:

* I got a cold, damn you stuffy nooose.

* My exams will start on Monday

* Did I already mention my stuffy nose? 

I really did have a great week! And I am hoping next week won't be bad! But hey, the week after that might be amazing.. or maybe next month!

How was your week? Any favorites or flops? 

Bisous 

25 Things Before My 25th Birthday: 21. Have over 250 published post on my blog

Another one bites the dust!

I am actually quite proud of this one! In 2011 I had 61 posts, in 2012 there were 50 and so far in 2013 I have posted 140 posts! 

250 posts, 288 comments, 119 GFC, 105 Bloglovin Followers, 293 Twitter Followers, 12 Youtube Followers and million happy moments! 

I feel like in 2013 I decided be more focused on blogging and I cannot wait for what 2014 has to offer!

Check out my other posts about my 25th Birthday list. 

Bisous

Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday

I want to start writing Weekly Food Shopping posts again, I did it once and I really liked it! I just love looking back at things and being able to see what food I bought here in Switzerland when I have moved. I'm going to see how I feel about it on Thursday when we do our weekly shopping and try to take some pictures! The main problem with taking the pictures after I do all the shopping is the fact that I have a tiny kitchen! It is so hard to fit everything into one picture! 

Anyways, onto what this post is supposed to be about, weight loss! And, guess what! This week I had some minor weight loss! 

Last week weigh in: 79.7 kg (175.7 lbs)

This week weigh in: 79.6 kg (175.5 lbs)

Not a big loss this week but it went a tiny bit down! And hey! I didn't gain weight and for me that is a big success! I feel more focused and if I lose 100 grams a week that will still end in some great weight loss! In 10 weeks that would be a kilo, and in a year I would lose a little over 5 kg (11 lbs). Which is great, so a little loss is still a success!

Bisous! 

My Monthly Goals: October 2013

For October I only have 9 goals, I just couldn't think of more goals. I am so fully focused on my midterms and my anxiety levels are super high for these exams that I just can't think about anything else at the moment. 

Luckily my exams are not the entire month so hopefully the end of the month will be better!

1. Start making Christmas cards
2. Order more yarn
3. Sell all my read books
4. Do my best on my midterm exams.
5. Work on my secret project
6. Start taking pictures for my shop
7. Post 2 recipes
8. Write 2 posts about my 25 things before my 25th birthday
9. Organize my make up table

It just looks so horrible with only 9 goals, I don't like the number 9. Anyways, have you set yourself some goals this month?

Bisous

Loving in September

September has been such a strange month, in a great way, but super strange. Starting new university (for the uhh 4th time), going to France, not working as much and just the feeling of hope has really been strong in September. There have as well been some sad and incredibly stressful things been going on but I did not go into hiding mode but just kept my head high (ok, I did cry a lot) and kept on going! 

I am really loving writing these posts, I love to see how many of my goals I have accomplished, I love just having something I can look back on. Because that was the main reason I started blogging, to prove to myself I can actually do things. 

My September Goals:

1. Blog every day!
I did manage to post 14 posts this month! I knew I would have trouble with this one because of the trip to South of France I took, school and all sorts of other things. However, I am fine with that! I still want to break my record of 27 posts a month! 

2. Do one photo an hour day.
That did not happen, the days I wanted to do it were too stressful and the days that weren't stressful I spent at home with my nose in a book, not picture worthy. 

3. Post four outfit posts. 
I did one!

4. Finish the 100 things decluttering challenge.
Didn't happen, this challenge is much more difficult than I imagined! 

5. Record what I am eating for 25 days.
I did take pictures of what I ate for a week, I just need to find a platform I am comfortable with.

6. Plan a nanny evening. (planned it but didn't manage to go)

7. Lose 2 kg (4-5 pounds)
Almost, I lost about 1.4 kg this week :)

8. Gain control over the laundry mayhem.
For me this is the biggest victory in the world! I cannot believe this actually happened! I feel like I got my apartment back!

9. Bake a cake 
I made an amazing lime and coconut cheesecake.

10. Go for a trip
I went for a lovely family trip to South of France, I had amazing time. 

Top 5 posts in September :

Review: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint (May 2012)
Review: Yves Roches - Tribal Attitude Lip Gloss (June 2012)
Review: Migros - I am Natural Cosmetics - Detox & Energy Crème Soufflé (September 2013)

Tag: I Heart Autumn (September 2013)

Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday (September 2013) 

And some posts I have been loving in September :

Our Daily Ocean: Day 200 from It Starts With Me

[The Disappoints] I would like my money back, please. from Peanut Butter and Chocolate Life

What I have been loving in real life in September :

family, good food, studying, Mr. Handsome, Óðinn, finishing products, being organized, naps.

Friday Favorites and Flops #2

This week was such a strange week for me, I haven't been feeling well so I just want to stay in bed and do nothing! But that isn't how you accomplish things in life. Hopefully things will pick up for me this weekend and I will kick next week's ass! 

Favorites:

* Losing some weight and reaching a weight goal. Wrote about that here. 

* Talkin on the phone with my dad, it always brightens my day.

* I am so close to reaching 50 000 hits on my blog. Every time I see that number go up I am shocked and happy!

Flops:

*Food poisoning, that is all I am going to say.

*Not having the motivation to blog, I have no idea where it went. I have so many things that I want to blog about but I am just feeling too meeh, to actually sit down and blog.

*Woke up this morning with a big scab on my nose!

As I said, I have just been a bit off this week! But hopefully things will pick up next week!

Bisous

Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday

So I realized I totally forgot to write about what I actually changed like I promised last week! But, hey! What I changed and have now finished my second week of is that I stopped eating gluten.

There were many reasons for this, I always felt nauseous and had horrible stomach ache after I ate. It wasn't after every time I ate but most of the time, and most of the time I was eaten things with gluten in it.

The past 2 weeks I haven't had any issue with my stomach! I feel amazing! I was planning on testing out being gluten free for 3 weeks and now I have one week left! I really haven't changed anything else but the gluten, I still eat bread (gluten free) and pasta (gluten free) and I made AMAZING gluten free cheesecake which I ate, I ate the whole cake! Poor Mr. Handsome only got one slice! 

Last week weigh in: 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs)

This week weigh in: 79.7 kg (175.7 lbs)

BOOOYAAAA! I actually screamed when I stepped on the scale (and scared Mr. Handsome). I reached my first goal so I am looking for some great cardigan for me! I am so happy! SO HAPPY!! HAPPYYYYYY!

My next goal is to reach 77.4 kg (170.6 lbs) and I actually fell like I can reach that goal! Hopefully I will be able to reach the weight goal I made for September which was to lose 2 kg (2-4 pounds) at at the moment I need to lose 600 grams more! 600 grams is something I will hopefully manage! I finally have my groove back! 

I am just so happy and I have so much energy at the moment and I am really putting all that energy into studying for University and it just feels great!

Bisous

Friday Favorites and Flops #1

Since I stopped doing my monthly favorites I wanted to start to do something else, first I started my Loving in... and I realized how much I like writing these kind of posts so I decided to start a new type of post called Friday Favorites and Flops, they will mainly be a lifestyle type of post but I might sneak in a product once in awhile.

Favorites:

*This week the temperature has gone down and it has stared to rain, I love autumn! LOVE IT.
*I have been feeling so much better since going gluten free.
*School work is going great and I am loving being back in University
*Talking to some people I haven't talked to in years.

Flops:

*All my towels are have purple stains because of my hair.
*My skin has been really bad this week. I don't really know why and it frustrates me.
*Had couple of anxiety issues.

What where your favorite moments this week and did you have some flops?

Bisous

Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday

For the past two weeks I decided to change a certain thing about my eating, I will talk more about it tomorrow (with pictures) since today I just want to talk about weight loss. Because I actually lost some weight this week.

Last week weigh in: 81.1 kg (178.8 lbs)

This week weigh in: 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs)

Now I am back to where I was when I started (wrote about it here), I am hoping to get lower next week! But I am still going to count it as almost 1 kg lost for my September Monthly Goals. I am hoping that with my new diet that things might go better in the next couple of weeks.

Battle strategies for this week are:

- Start my mornings by drinking water.

- Finish the sit up challenge!

- Wake up at 7 every morning

Bisous! 

Review: Weleda - Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream - Firms and Renews

After I finally finished all my other hand moisturizers it was time to buy new ones, luckily I saw the Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream on sale (two for the price of one, score!) and I jumped on it. I already have the Weleda Pomegranate Firming Serum (Reviewed here) so I really wanted to try something more from them. I love pomegranates! It is my favorite fruit and I just love how they look.

Anyways, back to this hand cream. On the Weleda homepage they describe this cream like this:

Keep skin looking youthful and firm using nature's best – Pomegranate Hand Cream

Hands showing signs of aging are nourished and revitalized by this skin-renewing Pomegranate Hand Cream. It’s a powerful regenerating treatment with potent antioxidants and rich essential fatty acids that restore youthful beauty to your hands.

This natural cream for aging skin contains organic pomegranate seed oil which is naturally rich in antioxidants that protect your hands from free radical damage and promote skin renewal. Organic shea butter, a soothing emollient packed with essential fatty acids, renders your skin silky smooth and lavishly moisturized.

Dermatological tests show that our Regenerating Pomegranate Hand Cream increases the skin’s moisture level by 34%* and reduces roughness by 9.1%** in just four weeks.

This skin-renewing natural cream nourishes the vibrant look and feel of your skin. Get a firm grip on your timeless beauty by using Pomegranate Hand Cream for soft, youthful hands.

Since I am only 24 years old, my skin isn't really aging so technically I wouldn't need this hand cream. However, I love it! My hands feel extremely soft and I don't find myself using this cream every time I wash my hands since my hands stay moisturized! At the moment I use this hand cream about 3-4 times a day since I have hands that just don't hold on to moisture. But with most moisturizers I need to use them after every time I wash my hands (so about 14 - 20 times a day).

What I don't like about the cream is the packaging, mine has now a tear in it and keeps on leaking a bit all over my bag! Super annoying!

It does take some time for the hand cream to be absorbed into my skin, but I don't mind that at all. I would definitely recommend this hand cream if you suffer from dry and rough hands or if you just want a nice hand cream!

Bisous

Review: Migros - I am Shower - Juicy fruits & Oil and Lemon & Oil Frischedusche/Douche Fraîcheur

At first I was wondering if I should write two separate reviews about these I am Shower gels but since they are the only two that are similar in the I am Shower range I decided to just write one post about them.

I am always looking for some good shower gels, I have a problem with them drying my skin too much but these don't cause that issue. These shower gels are not peeling gels even though they have small blue beads in them, the beads are actually oil beads and quickly disappear.

What it says on the back of the bottles (translated from German):

The unique combination of freshness and care pampers the skin and provides an extra dose of moisture. The oil beads melt gently on the skin and leave a pleasant well maintained, soft feeling skin.

The only flaw I found with these shower gels is that they both have ingredients that I don't like such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Methylparaben and Benzyl Alcohol. But as I mentioned before, my skin doesn't feel dry after I have used this shower gel, it feels moisturized and smooth.

Both shower gel lather nicely up and the scent of them fills up the shower when showering and even lingers on the skin for awhile after. 

The Juicy Fruits and Oil Shower Gel has a sweet fruity scent, I cannot pinpoint on what kind of fruit it is but it just smells so warm and welcoming.

The Lemon and Oil Shower Gel is a bit of a mystery as well on the front of the bottle is a picture of a lime, the color of the shower gel is green and it smells like lime! However, it is called Lemon and Oil Shower Gel, lime would be much more appropriate! Name aside it just smells amazingly like lime, it wakes you up in the morning with it tangy sweet smell. 

I cannot choose which one is my favorite one, the lemon one is just so tangy and fresh and the juicy one is just so juicy and smells so sweet! 

Both are available in Migros in 250 ml bottles for 2.40 CHF each. 

Bisous 

Review: Migros - I am Natural Cosmetics - Aqua Tonic - Peeling and Face Mask

Today I wanted to talk about a new product in the Natural Cosmetics line by Migros, I accidental stumbled up on it when I went to the "big" Migros buying some Catrice and Essence cosmetics and found this as well! I am actually quite exited about this product line, they are made with Glacier Water and being half Icelandic I jump on everything that might remind me of Iceland. 

You can read my other reviews about products from the I am Natural Cosmetics line here.

What I found as well quite intriguing about his mask is that it is a two step process, the first step is the peeling and the second step the face mask.

Step One - Peeling

What it says on the back (translated from German):

Skin refining scrub with glacier water from the Monte Rosa mountain range and organic Malva extract. The refreshing formula, with sand scrub, gently removes dead skin particles and stimulates the skin micro-circulation. The skin is wonderfully smooth, even and perfectly prepared for the subsequent care mask.

The first thing I noticed with the peeling cream was the stench of alcohol, not surprisingly when you see that the second ingredient is alcohol. The second thing I noticed was how much of the peeling cream there was!
It did peel my skin gently but I could not breath with my nose without almost getting drunk. My skin did feel wonderfully smooth and you could feel the sand massage your skin. If it hadn't had this horrible alcohol scent I would have loved to buy a big bottle of it!

Ingredients for the peeling

Step Two - Face Mask

Pampering mask with glacier water from the Monte Rosa mountain range and organic Malva  extract. The special formula with high quality babassu oil provides the skin with an extra helping of moisture. The skin is relaxed, perfectly maintained and has winning radiance. 

The face mask felt amazing and it was shocking on how much actually absorbed into my skin! At the end of the 10 minutes it had mostly absorbed in my skin so I left it for a bit longer until it was fully absorbed, and let me tell you, I do not regret it. That extra helping of moisture really did its job! I think I would actually buy this on in full size if Migros would start selling them!

Ingredients for the face mask

All in all, I did like the face mask but not the peeling. Therefore I won't repurchase it (unless they would remove the alcohol).

Bisous

P.S. Any face masks you have been loving or hating lately?

Outfit of the Day #6

Bag - Satchel Bag With Zip Flap (in Orange) - ASOS / Tights - Dark Blue - Avant-Première / Shorts - H&M (old) / Tunic - Tunique fluide (Blue) - Mim / Shoes - Reebook (old)

I wanted to talk about about life lately with outfit posts but as I am sitting here I don't really know what to say. I started school again, which is great, or maybe not so great. I do enjoy it and I really feel confident since it is a distance education and I don't feel anxious about it all. Which is great. But at the same time I am so afraid of failing! I hate failing but I am starting to become so used to fail, so failure seems to be the norm. a bad bad norm. 

But back to what I am wearing, I bought this tunic yesterday and I am in LOVE with it! LOVE! It is so comfortable and I just love the color of it! I am really looking forward wearing it with other things!

I love this bag, I wasn't sure when I bought it if it would be exactly what I imagined but it was. I have been using it all summer and it show very little wear! Which is amazing for fake leather! I cannot forget to mention the tights, if you live in Switzerland you will know Manor and these tights are from Manor and are my favorite tights ever! I always buy a bunch of them when they are on sale (couple of times a year they are 50% off) and those usually last until the next sale! For me they are just perfect for both summer and winter.

Bisous

Book Review: No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

I haven't written a book review in a long time and the pile of books that I need to write about is just getting bigger and bigger!

Today I want to talk about No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. I had never hear of Linwood Barclay before but I probably will check out some of his other books!

The house was silent. No sound of her parents getting ready for work, or her brother late for school. Were they punishing her for last night? She'd been out on a date when she should have been studying, and had a huge fight with her father. So where was everyone now? Why had her family disappeared?Twenty-five years later the mystery is no nearer to being solved and Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Where her family murdered? Abducted? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her?Then a letter arrives, a letter which makes no sense. Soon Cynthia begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made...

The book is written in 1st person, which is something I usually cannot stand but with this book it wasn't a problem. What I found a unique touch to the book is that the speaker of the book isn't Cynthia (the main character) but her husband Terry. It gives the book such a strange (in a good way) vibe, you feel like an audience to the events that are happening since you are not reading them from the view of the main character.

The story line was as well good, not great since it was very predictable but I enjoyed it (even though I knew exactly how it would end). The characters were great, and I liked how Linwood added some extra character for some suspense. There weren't too many character, which is good because it can be come confusing, but just the right amount of them.


There are couple of chapters that are about two mysterious people that aren't named until the last chapters of the book, those chapter still give so much away so only the first chapter is mysterious and the rest obvious. I think that that part is the only thing I don't really like about the book, I felt they were more of a page filler than important for the story line. I even felt like they destroyed the suspense of the story!

At last, my favorite part about writing book reviews the quotes.

"I'd never been to a shrink before. About all I knew came from watching The Sopranos' Dr Melfi help Tony work through his problems. I couldn't decide whether ours were more or less serious than his. Tony had people disappearing around him all the time, but he was often the one who'd arranged it. He had the advantage of knowing what had happened to these people." Page 71  

"I acted on impulse. I opened the closet, picked up the typewriter - God those old machines were heavy - and put it inside, on the floor. Then I draped some other things over it, an old pair of pants I'd used to paint in, a stack of old newspaper." Page 229

"If I could have brought myself  to call Detective Wedmore I could have asked her outright where I might find Vince Fleming and saved myself some time. She'd already said she knew the name. Abagnall had told us he had a record for a variety of offences." Page 271

What kind of name is Abagnall? I think that is the only name were I was dumbfounded by, I mean, how do you even pronounce it Ab-a-gnall? Ab-gnall? Who knows!

All in all I did like this book! Which I feel sometimes is a rare occurrence!

Have you read this book or any other book by Linwood Barclay?

Bisous

Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday

This week I was careful what I ate, I tried to sleep more, I went out for walk and finally wasn't extremely stressed, and this week I of course gained weight. Because that is always what happens, as soon as I start looking at what I eat I gain weight. I am sorry body, that consuming more than 400 calories makes you gain weight, I am sorry that finally when I feel a bit better I gain weight, I am sorry that I hate my body for being such a pain in my gigantic ass. GIGANTIC! Or as I described it to my friend, I feel like I am a rotting corpse that is about to explode. Yes, that is how I feel. I am sick of it all, I am sick of feeling tired all of the time, I am sick of having heartburn all of the time, I am sick of feeling nauseous all of the time and don't get me started on those headaches. 

So this weeks numbers suck, I was hoping to lose those measly 300 grams and reach my first goal, but no I gained a kilo, and that kilo is not muscles since I haven't been working out more than before. I am pretty sure it is a kilo of self hate and failure.

Last week weigh in: 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs)

This week weigh in: 81.1 kg (178.8 lbs)

Do I have a plan for next week? No, I have other things to do and I decided to put these feeling and problems on the back burner until next Wednesday when I will start on an experiment with my annoying body. 

Do check out Tilly's Workout & Weight Loss Wednesday post, it is more happier than mine!

Bisous

Review: Migros - I am Natural Cosmetics - Detox & Energy Crème Soufflé

When I finished my previous lotion (reviewed here) in August I finally allowed myself to buy a lotion I have been eyeing for months! I think it is quite obvious that I love the I am Natural Cosmetics line that Migros produces and I am planning on reviewing every single product in that line (except for their shampoos)! Isn't that a great goal! It will take some time since I don't like having too many products lying around! You can see all my reviews from that line right here. 

Today I wanted to talk about one of their moisturizer, it is called Detox & Energy Crème Soufflé and comes in a bright yellow 200 ml plastic jar.


On the jar it says (translated from German):

Firming cream soufflé with a special biological complex 2 tea, lime and citrus extract oil from controlled biological cultivation. Enhances the appearance of the skin, promotes its elasticity, smooths and provides a spa experience. The silky, creamy texture moisturizes the skin and gives it energy.

And as with the other products from the I am Natural Cosmetics the products are without mineral oils, artificial color, fragrance and preservatives. 

The Detox & Energy Crème Soufflé doesn't have any parabens, which is great since I am trying to stay away from them.

The cream itself is silky smooth but it does take a bit of massaging for it to be absorbed into the skin, but that is something that I actually like about the cream since it reminds you to massage your skin. But when the cream is absorbed the skin feels amazingly soft and it smells so nice! I would describe the scent as being a sweet lemon, somewhere between a lemonade and a lemon candy. But it isn't a synthetic lemon smell but like a freshly squeezed lemon.

At the moment Migros has four other body moisturizers in the I am Natural Cosmetics line, they are Vanilla and Coconut body milk, Sea Buckthorn and Ginger body milk, Almond and Peaches body cream and finally Grapefruit and Bamboo body lotion. I cannot wait to try them all out!

What lotion are you using at the moment?

Bisous

Tag: I Heart Autumn

Lena from Little Random Sparks tagged me in a I heart Autumn tag and since I love Autumn and never really get tagged for anything else than Liebster award (which I already have done) so I was quite happy being tagged!

1. Favorite Autumn Lip Product
I have to say the Blistex DCT ( Daily Conditioning Treatment for lips), it has Aloe and Cocoa Butter and Vitamins A&E! It as well smells heavenly!

2. Favorite Autumn Nail Polish
I never separate my nail polishes between seasons so I just use the ones I have.

3. Favorite Starbucks Autumn Drink
I love Chai Tea Latte all year round but I do get excited for the Gingerbread Lattes (don't arrive until December so that is more winter thing)

4. Favorite Autumn Candle
I have to say Apple and Cinnamon candles!

5. Favorite Autumn Accessory
Scarfs!

6. Haunted House, Haunted Hayride or Haunted Corn Maze
Nothing haunted for me please!

7. Favorite Halloween Movie
I don't know, I don't like scary movies so it has to be a non scary Halloween film!

8. Favorite sweets to eat on Halloween
Every single candy on the earth, please?

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
Nothing, we don't celebrate Halloween here.

10. Your favorite part of fall ( yes you have to choose one! )
The rain! I love rainy gloomy days!

11.Your favorite fall tunes
Don't have any special music that I associate with autumn.

12. Your fall Outfit
My normal clothes with tights and boots!

13. Your favorite fall scent
The smell of wet leafs.

What is your favorite part about Autumn? And have you done this tag?
Bisous

My Monthly Goals: September 2013

There is something about September that always makes me happy, I think it is all about new beginnings and the weather finally cooling down!

I only managed to accomplish 5 of my 10 August goals (see here), however I am pretty sure I will accomplish most of my September goals!

1. Blog every day!
2. Do one photo an hour day.
3. Post four outfit posts.
4. Finish the 100 things decluttering challenge.
5. Record what I am eating for 25 days.
6. Plan a nanny evening.
7. Lose 2 kg (4-5 pounds)
8. Gain control over the laundry mayhem.
9. Bake a cake
10. Go for a trip


Do you set yourself monthly goals?

YouTube: Empties #6

Loving in August

My August Goals:

1. Open up my handmade shop
2. Finish the 200 Sit-ups Challenge
3. Rearrange the apartment
4. Swim in the lake at least once
5. Film 4 YouTube videos
6. Decluttered 50 things
7. Go to the cinema with Mr. Handsome (Went to The Heat, hilarious)
8. Make a cake (made a cheesecake)
9. Get ice cream from our local ice cream shop
10. Not buy any makeup or skincare things (I only bought things that I had previously finished, a lotion and eye make up remover)

Top 5 posts in August:

Review: Yves Roches - Tribal Attitude Lip Gloss (June 2012)

Review: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint (May 2012)

Review: Clinique BB Cream - Shade 1 (December 2012)

Review: Naissance - Aloe Vera Gel (July 2013)

Pink Box: July 2013 (August 2013)

I love seeing what posts are most popular every month! I love as well that post that I wrote a year ago are still popular!

And some posts I have been loving in August:

Oregon, we miss you...  from Pamplemousse! 

An adventure to Gulliver's World, Warrington. from Love, Tilly.

What I have been loving in real life in August:

Cheesecake, Mr. Handsome, The Heat, Sims 3, reaching 100 Bloglovin followers, sleeping in and staying up late, knitting.