30 Days in Pictures: Days 1-5

The item number 14 on my 26 Things Before my 26th Birthday list is to do a 30 days photo challenge and I have started that numerous times but frequently failed! But this time I am in it to win it! 

I decided to split the 30 photographs into bundles of five and here are the first five!

1/30 A view over Reykjavík

2/30 Meatballs for lunch

3/30 A knitting project I just finished.

4/30 Keflavík Airport, picking up my dad.

5/30 Háteigskirkja

Those are the pictures that I took over the past five days, some better than others!

Bisous.

My Monthly Goals: October Review and November Goals

October where did you go? I had a marvelous October, I was for almost 2 weeks in Massachusetts on vacation and it was amazing. I did however not blog at all, which is a shame but I just haven't had the time nor the will to blog. I don't really know why, but somehow since I am not really living the life I wished I was living right now I just don't feel like sharing. At the same time I want to share what is happening and this is quite an important part of my life.

Anyway, I did accomplished over 50% of my goals, so at least that is something.

October Goals:

1. Upload and write 4 weekly vlogs and blogs.
I wanted this to happen but I ended up not having time to edit videos and write anything else but essays!
2. Upload my closet organization video.
I need to film this video and upload it, I am really happy with how my clothes are organized.
3. Enjoy my vacation.
Yes, I really enjoyed my vacation! Can't wait for the next one!
4. Get my blogging mojo back.
I feel like I did get my blogging mojo back, and I have organized what I want to write about and have started taking pictures for some posts! 
5. Start taking outfit pictures.
I haven't found the right spot for my outfit pictures, I rearranged my room so I think I might find a better spot soon!
6. Go to the gym 4 times.
Didn't happen at all, I didn't even go once! 
7. Get to a better sleeping schedule.
Check! I did have some jet lag issues, but otherwise it is going better than before.
8. Walk 100 000 steps.
Check, I walked 103978 steps, I had two days when I forgot my phone at home and therefore didn't count how many steps I had taken those days.
9. Eat more vegetables.
Check, vegetables is something I always need to think about but I have been eating more of them!
10. Start organizing my life again.
Check, and it feels good to be organized again!

November Goals:
1. Keep a photo food diary for 2 weeks.
2. Drink 2 liters of water most days 
3. Walk 120 000 steps
4. Start waking up at 5 am
5. Film MakeUp Inventory and set myself future goals.
6. Write my children's book.
7. Start going to the gym again.
8. Weigh myself.
9. Attend 100% of my classes.
10. Catch up on university work, and prepare for finals.



Bisous

My Monthly Goals: September Review and October Goals

September was an interesting month! I started my second year at University and got used to the fact that I live in Iceland now! Sadly, I didn't do as well as I had hoped with my September goals.

September Goals:
1. Go to the gym 4 times.
I almost did it! I went to the gym 3 times! In September!
2. Organize my closet. 
Check, hopefully there will be a video on it in October. 
3. Organize my desk.
As I look over at my desk I can say without a doubt that I did not accomplish this goal this month!
4. Get a job.
I applied to a lot of jobs but no luck! 
5. Start knitting again.
This I did accomplish! Since I love knitting it wasn't a hard task to accomplish! 
6. Buy myself winter shoes.
I was planning on buying the new shoes in Iceland but I found the ones I wanted in Target so I will buy them when I go to the states.
7. Start a regular blogging schedule again.
I wish I had accomplished this one, somehow I just haven't been in the mood to write anything.
8. Start on my photo challenge.
Check! The first post about my photo challenge should be up this week!
9. Set up an area where I can easily take pictures of products that I want to review.
Check, at the moment it isn't completely ready since my desk is a mess! 
10. Start reviewing products again.
This hasn't happened, I have couple of products that I want to review so that is something.


October Goals:
1. Upload and write 4 weekly vlogs and blogs.
2. Upload my closet organization video.
3. Enjoy my vacation.
4. Get my blogging mojo back.
5. Start taking outfit pictures.
6. Go to the gym 4 times.
7. Get to a better sleeping schedule.
8. Walk 100 000 steps.
9. Eat more vegetables.
10. Start organizing my life again.

Trashy Reykjavík

I wanted to talk about something I have noticed here in Reykjavík, I might be bit biased because Geneva was kept clean, the streets were cleaned twice a day and there were trash cans everywhere! I feel like the attitude towards trash in Reykjavík is a bit different like the nature should just take care of all the trash that is thrown at it. First of all I haven't seen or heard a street cleaner since I came here, and second of all where are all the trash cans?

I arrived to Reykjavík about a week after the Gay Pride Parade, and there were still gigantic pieces of confetti everywhere. And even now I still see some confetti flying around. It wouldn't be so noticeable but that confetti is made out of plastic and isn't going to disappear anytime soon. 

Only if the trash problem in Reykjavík ended there, which is doesn't. Reykjavík is extremely trashy and I am shocked that people aren't more ashamed of it! Because this is something tourist will notice and it doesn't really show a great picture of Iceland.

I walk around quite a lot, since it is something I am used to and something I like doing and during couple of those walks I have picked up a piece of trash planning on throwing it into the next trashcan only to end up holding on to it until I reach my destination.

And on one of those walks I actually decided to take couple of pictures of the trash that was lying around, I started just taking couple put at the moment I have tons of them on my phone! There is just so much trash everywhere!

So I ask myself, is this what Icelandic people want the tourists to remember? And why aren't there any trash cans?

Bisous

26 Things Before my 26th Birthday: 9. Have 50 YouTube videos

At last I managed to finish one of the items of my 26 things before my 26th birthday list. It came as well during a good time when I had started doubting myself! But at last, some success. So if you want to check out my YouTube channel here is the link. At the same time I reached this goal I as well reached 10 000 views in total on my YouTube channel which made me super happy!

And my 50th video was this little gem:
Bisous.

Weekly VLOG #6 (23/08-29/08): Culture night, the ocean and the lack of trash bins!

I am getting behind on these vlogs! However, let me tell you about the week that I had (23/08-29/08).

It started by my friends calling me and asking if I wanted to join them in watching the fireworks that were about to happen during Reykjavíks Culture Night (Menningarnótt). I jumped on the offer since I had been moping all week since I was alone (I talked about that in my last vlog). I was as well facing couple of my anxieties, crowds and going somewhere alone and hoping to find my friends.

Luckily I found them quickly and had a nice night! The next day (Sunday) I went to the beach, Icelandic style, which is in winter clothes! The beach was gorgeous and very refreshing. I found so much of sea glass!

As it was the last week before my classes would start I had to do some paper work and as I was walking around getting things done I noticed how dirty and trashy Reykjavík actually is (and I will have a full post on that later) and I noticed as well one of the reason why it is so trashy! There are NO trash bins anywhere! 

I as well did some necessary food shopping and realized even more how odd it is just to buy food for one and how much impact my betrothed had on dinner ideas. Even though I felt at times that I was doing it all by myself I can see now that that was all a lie!

And the at last the video! 

My Monthly Goals: August Review and September Goals

August has (long) passed and September is on us! I am always quite excited about September. For me (and many others) 1st of September feels like a new start and a great opportunity to review things.

I did quite well on my August goals which I am ecstatic about and I am hoping September will be great as well!

August Goals:
1. Move!
This happened! I have moved to Iceland!
2. Go swimming
This did not happen and still hasn't happened, which is strange because I LOVE going to the pools here in Iceland but somehow I just haven't been yet.
3. Start filming MYiI (I wonder what that could be :D )
This I did and I have already uploaded two! The first one was about what MYiI is and the second one was about Kerið. You can see those here.
4. Get ready to start my second year of University
Check! I just finished my second week and am doing great!
5. Settle in my dorm
Check as well! My lovely boyfriend helped me get all settled before he headed off to his adventure!
6. Film Apartment tour (Geneva apartment)
This did not happen! I was way to busy with everything that I just couldn't even breath.
7. Write some book reviews (I have so many half written)
Check, if I can count some as one. To be fair to myself, I have couple that are almost finished they just need the finishing touches. 
8. Enjoy having nothing to do
Yes! Something I enjoyed and then got extremely bored! I am a workaholic like my dad, I need to be doing things!
9. Try some new Icelandic skincare products
I did try couple of things and I am looking forward to trying more of Icelandic skincare products!
10. Move my Gold Star Chart into my planner.
No! I totally forgot my chart on the wall in the old apartment! Good job me!

September Goals:
1. Go to the gym 4 times.
2. Organize my closet.
3. Organize my desk.
4. Get a job.
5. Start knitting again.
6. Buy myself winter shoes.
7. Start a regular blogging schedule again.
8. Start on my photo challenge.
9. Set up an area where I can easily take pictures of products that I want to review.
10. Start reviewing products again.

Bisous

Weekly VLOG #5 (14/08-21/08): On being alone and first food shopping!

Another week has passed and I am still in Iceland. We had a lovely weekend where we got to see some fun things (and I got to film some fun things for My Year in Iceland). However, on Monday my dearest boyfriend left. It was quite odd to be on myself when I haven't had to be on myself for so long, it didn't help that Skype wasn't working well and there was only minimal communication between us. 

Doing things by myself was quite odd and I won't lie and say I wasn't feeling horribly lonely, because the truth is that during this week I felt lonely. But time won't stop just because you aren't feeling the greatest so I had to shake it off and start doing things. 

I went food shopping and that was such a huge culture shock! Not only was I having hard time finding where the food was located in the store but I as well was just shocked by the quality of the food and the store. In Geneva I always shopped at Migros since they had the lowest prices and were closest to where I lived. So in Iceland that store for me is Bónus. However, Bónus is so dirty and unorganized that I wasn't even sure if they still were actually selling food for human consumption! As I was walking through the store scolding myself for being such a snob and not appreciative of the fact that there was at least a grocery store in a walking distance from campus I managed to pick up some food for me to eat. So I would say that the grocery trip was somewhat a success. 

I feel that a big part of my week was just me wandering around trying to find things. I have never lived in this part of Reykjavík before so I don't really know where things are. One of those things were a pharmacy, I walked what seemed to be a lifetime just to pinpoint down a local pharmacy that I had found online only to see that they were under renovation and of course they didn't mention that on their webpage. The other one was the bank, but I found that one quickly and was blessed with great service.

And talking about good service, I have been happily surprised with how great service I have been having here. Iceland is frequently known for bad service and I would in the past agree with that, however, I have been getting marvelous service this time around! People are actually polite and acknowledge the fact someone has entered the store. The only place where I have gotten repeatedly bad service is Hagkaup, which is both strange and not so strange. Hagkaup is supposed to be a better quality food type of store but at the same time it is mostly a facade of just upping their prices and pretending to be better and that is visible by their horrible service and quite rude staff. 

And that is all for this week, and below is the super short vlog since I haven't really gotten in the habit of vlogging.

Bisous

My Year in Iceland: The Beginning

I wanted to start a new series on both my blog and my YouTube channel about the year I am spending in Iceland. I wanted to do weekly vlogs (like this one) but I wanted as well to do something different. I decided it would be fun to to short videos where I show one specific place in Iceland a week and talk a bit about it. 

I wanted blog about it as well so I could add some pictures and just connect my blog and my YouTube channel more.  

This week I am not showing a new place but only introducing the series and show a little bit from my flight to Iceland. 

Bisous 

Weekly VLOG #4 (08/08-13/08): Fêtes de Genève fireworks, packing up my stuff and moving to Iceland.

I wanted to add a blog aspect to my occasional weekly vlogs and as well try to vlog more often whilst I am in Iceland. At the moment my vlogs are a week behind since it gives me time to edit them without being stressed and I like having a bit of a barrier between when things happen and when I share those things with the internet. I plan on having the vlog at the bottom of these posts and adding some pictures in the post that I haven't shared before on instagram.

Anyways, back to my week. Packing my things was strangely hard, when I started emptying my closets and drawers I realized how much stuff I actually had! It didn't help that the fireworks for Fêtes de Genève were going on and it felt like our windows would explode from the noise. I am not a big fan of fireworks, I might even say that I find fireworks extremely annoying and I hate them a little bit. I just don't see the attraction, they are loud and smelly and super wasteful!

Or flight was on Tuesday and we barely managed to pack all our things before we had to grab a taxi to go to the airport. We flew with Icelandair in a direct flight from Geneva to Keflavik. It was one of the best flights I have ever been on! Very calming and Icelandair has just the best food on board its flights.

When we landed in Iceland the weather was pretty nice, it was quite windy but not a cloud in sight. The first couple of days we were just hanging around, but I needed to get things sorted for my University housing and to see how and where everything was.

We took as well a lot of walk, and on one of our walks we saw a smack of dead jellyfish. I found it strange to see all of them just floating around lifelessly. Jellyfish are my favorite animal and I somehow just felt sad seeing them all dead.

I managed to do a lot of the paperwork and got the key to my dorm room! It was much bigger than I thought and even though I share a kitchen with 7 other persons I have my own bathroom.

So, that is how my week has been!



Bisous 

Book Review: The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen

Another review of a book from Tess Gerritsen! I know, I know, variation is important and all that but I wanted to finish reading all the books in the Rizzoli and Isles series before my summer vacation was over and I did so there will be some more of these coming!

The Sinner is the third book in the series and by now I have started to expect how the book is set up. The two previous books The Surgeon and The Apprentice are set during the summer and throughout the book they talk about how hot it is. In comparison, The Sinner is set during the winter and on almost every page there will be a mention of how cold it is.

I always like to add what is written on the back of the book (or as it is usually with the Kindle, on the first few pages of the book).

They want us to know why they died...  

Within the walls of a cloistered convent, a scene of unspeakable carnage is discovered. On the snow lie two nuns, one dead, one critically injured – victims of a seemingly motiveless, brutally savage attack. 

Doctor Maura Isles’ autopsy of the murder victim yields a shocking surprise, but the case takes a disturbing twist. The body of another woman has been found. And someone has gone to a lot trouble to remove her face, hands and feet.  

As long buried secrets are revealed Dr. Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli find themselves part of a terrifying investigation that leads to a shocking realization of the killer’s identity..

Sounds interesting, and let me tell you, it really was! After reading The Surgeon and The Apprentice right after each other I was a bit sick of the story, it was just so repetitive. The Sinner however, kicks everything back into action.

As I mentioned earlier, the story is set in the winter and there is a lot of description of the cold and just the weather in general. The change in season in comparative to the first two books is not the only change that we get to experience in this book, the first two books were focused on Jane Rizzoli but The Sinner is focused on Dr. Maura Isles' life instead, it is a nice change and we get a better look into Maura's life. That doesn't mean that we don't get to follow Jane around as well.

And to some quotes from the book, in these quotes, she is always Dr. Maura Isles.

The morning’s snowfall had turned into a treacherous mix of both snow and sleet, and the city plows were nowhere in sight.

The wind blew, rattling the windows, and the door creaked as though invisible hands were tugging at it, desperate to get in. Rizzoli's lips had chilled to blue, and her face had taken on a corpse like pallor, but she showed no intention of seeking a warmer room. That was Rizzoli, too stubborn to be the first to capitulate. To admit she had reached her limit.

For an instant, their gazes met through the window. She saw a lean and striking face, a head of black hair, ruffled by the wind. And she caught a glimpse of white, tucked beneath the raised collar of his black coat.

She heard a creak, and felt the whisper of movement, of another presence in the room. The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood up and she gave a laugh. ‘God, Jane, don't sneak up on me like...’ Turning, her voice died in mid-sentence. No one was there. For a moment she didn't move, didn't breathe, just stared at empty space. Vacant air, polished floor.

She had chosen this suburb of Brookline, just west of Boston, because of the sense of security she felt in its quiet, treelined streets.

As before in Tess Gerritsen novels, the murder cases and the lives of the main characters are somehow connected. In The Sinner it is quite visible both with Jane Rizzoli and with Maura Isles.

I really liked this book and found that it actually showed that Tess Gerritsen talent really grew between the books. I would as well definitely recommend for you to read The Sinner, especially if you have read the first two books and were quite bored when reading the second book (The Apprentice) since The Sinner doesn't dwell on the past as much as The Apprentice.

Bisous

My Monthly Goals: July Review and August Goals

I wasn't at all a good blogger during the month of July, sometimes life just takes you by surprise and everything becomes too hectic. 

I did manage to film and upload 7 videos on my YouTube channel, which is something I have really started to enjoy and will keep on doing as long as I enjoy it!

I didn't do as well as I had hoped with my July goals, I did do a little bit of everything but at the same time I really just haven't had the time to do anything at all.

July Goals:
1. Pack my stuff
2. Practice Arabic 
3. Write for 20 minutes a day
4. Finish setting up my personal planner 
5. Start following my daily cleaning schedule again
6. Post one recipe 
7. Lose 2 kg 
8. Do my Makeup Inventory
9. 7 Days of food diary
10. Write in my Journal at least 7 times

As for my August goals I wasn't really sure how I could plan my month with the fact that for half of it I will be in Geneva and the other half in Reykjavík!

August Goals:
1. Move!
2. Go swimming
3. Start filming MYiI (I wonder what that could be :D )
4. Get ready to start my second year of University
5. Settle in my dorm
6. Film Apartment tour (Geneva apartment)
7. Write some book reviews (I have so many half written)
8. Enjoy having nothing to do
9. Try some new Icelandic skincare products
10. Move my Gold Star Chart into my planner.

I am so excited for this month, I am so stressed about it all, stressed but happy!

Bisous

Fair Trade Friday #1

For a while now I have been really conscious about where my clothing is coming from. In March 2013 I wrote about why I would be boycotting H&M and I haven't bought anything from them since then. Since then I haven't bought a lot of clothing and I have been donating a lot of my clothing. Both because my style has changed and I am moving soon and I am a one bag kind of gal.

But as my stash of clothing dwindles I knew I needed to start to make a decision on what my plan for the future was. I have previously gone a year without buying any clothing (2010-2011) and for me that wasn't a problem. But I needed a plan for the future, not just for the next year or two. I needed a sustainable plan.

I want my wardrobe to be a fair trade wardrobe, but as much as I want that I have to be realistic about what kind of fair trade clothing there is out there. I have serious doubts that I can have a 100% fair trade wardrobe, there is serious lack of fair trade stables such as big bras. Something I cannot live without.

Therefore, trying to have a 100% fair trade wardrobe would end in failure, and I do not like failure. I decided that it would be better for me to aim towards a different number. I thought that 70% would be a more of an achievable number. So if I buy 10 things, 3 of these things are allowed to be non fair trade.

The seven things that will be fair trade can also be second hand clothing, mostly because buying second hand clothing can benefit both the environment and help charities. An extra plus is that no money is going from me to the clothing company.

Every single piece of clothing will be counted in this! Whether it will be underwear, socks, dresses or shoes!

As I try to get in deeper with being more of a minimalist I am not going to be buying many new outfits, but I wanted to have a plan on what I would or would not buy.

Bisous

Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday

I was talking to a dear friend of mine the other day about weight loss and how I know how to lose weight but somehow I just can't accomplish it myself.

I know hundreds of weight loss tips and I have read so many studies for weight loss but I somehow just don't manage to lose weight myself. If you look back on my weekly weigh ins you can see that I have just gained weight. I get fatter and fatter by the year.

When I think about what it is that is making me fat I think I would say it is mostly Geneva, a city of extremely thin people is making me fat. I am not saying the thin people in Geneva are making me fat, but the fact that I don't feel safe in Geneva. I don't go out for walks because the parks always have guys masterbating or someone following me.

I don't go to a gym because the gyms here are horrifyingly expensive. So the only thing left to do is to exercise at home. I just never feel motivated to exercise at home.

I am hoping things will change when I move to Iceland, I will have the swimming pools and I will be able to go to a cheap gym, I as well will have friends to be motivated with. The only thing I worry about is that I find that the Icelandic cuisine is quite fattening and I know I will probably live of bread and ice cream.

At the University of Iceland they have a personal trainer team for the students that I think I will go to, both to get healthy and because they have as well recipes that are tailored for poor students.

Bisous

My Monthly Goals: June Review and July Goals

I quite enjoy writing out my monthly goals and seeing the progress (or more the lack of progress), what I enjoy even more is looking back at my older goals and see what I chose!

Anyway, here are my goals for July and a quick recap on how I did in June!

June Goals: 
July Goals:

1. Get to a great sleeping schedule
I am always a bit sceptic about sleeping schedule, as usual I started out great and now I have had very bad insomnia for the past three weeks. But I am still going to bed at the same time and getting out of bed in the morning at the same time. Doesn't though mean I am sleeping well.
2. Work out for 120 minutes
I worked out for 8 minutes! EIGHT! I am just too tired to work out, I have no energy.
3. Write 4 book reviews
I wrote one,I wrote about The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen and I have other ones half written. I am hopeful that I will be able to post the rest of the books I have read this year.
4. Have 65 stars on my Wellness and Weight Loss chart
I am still at 43, but slowly getting my 44th star.
5. Finish reading the Rizzoli and Isles book series
Check! I can't wait for the next one that should come out in December/January.
6. Write down everything I spend/earn
7. Reach 300 blog posts
I almost got this one, this post is number 295!
8. Reach 30 YouTube videos
Done, I have now 35 videos on my YouTube channel!
9. Have a great morning workout routine
Heck no, this just did not happen!
10. Paint a chest of drawers
And no again, I guess I won't pain those chest of drawers.

July Goals:
1. Pack my stuff
2. Practice Arabic 
3. Write for 20 minutes a day
4. Finish setting up my personal planner 
5. Start following my daily cleaning schedule again
6. Post one recipe 
7. Lose 2 kg 
8. Do my Makeup Inventory
9. 7 Days of food diary
10. Write in my Journal at least 7 times

Do you have any goals for July?

Bisous

Weekly Grocery Shopping #4

I haven't done one of these posts in ages, I really liked doing them but we have been slacking in buying groceries only once a week! I as well want to see what we are buying, I find it quite interesting and I noticed by looking back at the other posts that our milk has gone up in price, not a lot (and that is why I didn't notice before). I noticed as well that we buy a lot of limes. 

Fruits & Vegetables
Avocados (2x)	3.40
Broccoli	1.60
Chives	0.90
Cucumber	1.40
Limes (3x)	2.10
Onions	1.15
Sweet corn	0.90
Tomatoes (on sale)	2.65
	14.10
Dairy
Butter (on sale)	2.95
Cream Cheese (2x)	4.30
Crème fraîche	2.65
Milk (2x)	3.50
Sliced cheese (2x)	4.40
	17.80
Baked Goods
Le Croquant	3.70
Pain Genevois	2.30
Soft mini Tortillas (2x)	7.40
XL Toast Vitality	3.40
	16.80
Other
Agnesi Olive	3.60
Balsamic vinegar	4.50
Basmati rice	5.90
Chicken cold cut (2x, on sale)	7.80
Chicken Mix	1.30
Condensed milk	3.65
Cup-a-soup Minestrone	2.50
Cup-a-soup vegetables	2.30
Farmer Croc Pecan	4.70
Farmer Flakes Chocolate	5.40
Filets de maquereaux	2.70
Heinz ketchup	1.65
Raw cane sugar	2.30
Refried beans	3.60
Shredded coconut (on sale)	0.80
	52.70
Total	101.40

All in all it was 101.40 Chf ($113,40/£66,50), it should last all week since we have quite a lot of stable items that we need to finish.

Sadly one of the avocado was molded on the inside and the other one super unripe. I hate buying avocados here because of this, they go from unripe to moldy in less than a day. It happens every single time we buy avocado and I try never to buy them because of this but sometimes I just really want an avocado!

What is always on your shopping list?

Bisous

Outfit of the Day #10: Deleting Facebook.

A while ago I decided it was time for me to delete Facebook. There wasn't really one thing that drove me to it, but it was a concoction of multiple things and thoughts that just in the end got to me.

Bag - Satchel Bag With Zip Flap (in Orange) - ASOS / Skirt - ASOS Skater Skirt in Darling Bud Print  / Tanktop - H&M (old) /Tights - H&M (old) Wrap Cardigan - Kookai (old) / Shoes - Reebook (old)

I have to say that I don't miss Facebook at all, I feel invigorated and more creative and at ease. It wasn't that my Facebook feed was filled with negative things it was more that my Facebook was somehow filled with false connection and that false connection was something I hated. 

If someone liked my status didn't mean that they had communicated with me, and the same went with me. I somehow forwent all real communication and connection and chose instead of reading status updates and liking with occasional comment. It just didn't feel right.

I can't deny that since I quit there has been even more lack of communication, mostly because I did use the chat function on Facebook a lot, I am however still in contact with a lot of my friends and family. I as well made sure that by deleting Facebook I wouldn't block and be blocked from messaging my friends, now I just use Skype for it, and I like it more.

I don't feel like I am missing out, most of the people I had as Facebook friends weren't even in the same country as me! Why did I need to be able to watch their life? The truth was I didn't need to watch anybodies lives except for mine, I was getting to focused with other people instead of focusing on what I wanted and what I was going to do.

Have you ever thought about deleting Facebook?

Bisous

26 Things Before my 26th Birthday: Update 14-26

This is the second part of the 26 Things Before my 26th Birthday list! You can read part one here.

14. Do a 30 day photo challenge
I haven't started this one since I am planning on doing it in September.

15. Photograph my outfit 52 times
I have posted three outfit of the day posts! That is as many as I posted ALL last year and I will have one up tomorrow! So this one might actually be accomplished!

16. Write 10 monthly goals post
Half way done with this one, I have written 5 monthly goal posts!

17. Reach 100 000 hits on my blog
This is a work in progress, but I am getting closer!

18. Get to a healthy BMI
Hasn't happened yet but I am working on this!

19. Write a food journal for 100 days
I decided to start taking pictures of the food I ate and did that for a week, I want to post it but I just need to write the post and edit the pictures, so at the moment I am on 7/100!

20.Write in a journal for 100 days
I have written 4 times in my journal, there are still 196 days left of this year so I am still in green!

21. Wake up at 5 am for 30 days in a row
Noooooooo...

22. Have 10 photograph posts about places I have visited.
I haven't done any. So that is a big fat zero. I have couple of places in mind, I just need to get going!

23. Be more of a minimalist
This is something I am doing and I am really happy about, I feel better with every item I don't have any more.

24. Grow out the dye in my hair (as much as possible in a year)
Still going strong in not dyeing my hair, and it helped a lot cutting it short.

25. Finish writing a children's book
This is something I am working on, I am about half way through with the text and the illustrations are still in the design stage.

26. Do 10 weekly vlogs.
I have done 2 weekly vlogs (can see them here)

Book Review: The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

The Apprentice is the second book in the Rizzoli and Isles series and if you have watched the Rizzoli and Isles tv-show reading The Apprentice is just like watching the pilot of the tv-show. At certain times when I was reading the book I wasn't sure if I had read the book before or not because of the similarities between the book and the tv-show.

The first book The Surgeon (reviewed here) does not include Dr. Maura Isles but she is introduced in The Apprentice. 

I am not the only one of my kind who walks this earth. Somewhere, there is another. And he waits for me… The Surgeon has been locked up for a year but his chilling legacy still haunts the city, and especially Boston detective Jane Rizzoli. But now a new killer is at work and Rizzoli senses something horrifyingly familiar about him.

Then the FBI starts taking an interest in the investigation and Rizzoli begins to wonder just what makes this case so different and so dangerous?

But then the unthinkable happens: the Surgeon escapes. And suddenly there are two twisted killers on the loose – master and apprentice… 

While I was reading the book I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not, and even now I am still not sure. I think it was because how similar it was to the Pilot of Rizzoli and Isles that I somehow didn't get to enjoy the book as much as I probably would have if I hadn't known the plot.

There are several new important characters introduced in The Apprentice, as I mentioned previously Dr. Maura Isles is introduced as well as the FBI agent Gabriel Dean. 

The book is set up as Tess Gerritsen usually sets up her books, there main story is written in third person and then there are couple of chapters written in first person that are from some outsiders part of the story.

And of course some quotes, I love quotes to see how the book is written. 

"Today I watched a man die." 

"The blood pours from his chest like holy water from a sacred spring. I press my palm to the wound, bathing my skin in that liquid warmth, and blood coats my hand like a scarlet glove."

"But this is not his work. Warren Hoyt is safely locked away in a place he can’t escape. I know, because I put the bastard there myself."

"Rizzoli brought home a pizza from the deli around the corner and excavated an ancient head of lettuce from the bottom of her refrigerator vegetable bin. She peeled off brown leaves until she reached the barely edible core. It was a pale and unappetizing salad, which she ate out of duty and not for pleasure."

"Happy people are self-contained; they breathe different air and are subject to different laws of gravity."

"The question, asked so softly, made her fall silent. She resented his probing. Resented, most of all, that he’d recognized a truth she could not admit. Warren Hoyt had left scars. All she had to do was look down at her hands to be reminded of the damage he’d inflicted. But the worst damage was not physical. What she had lost, in that dark basement last summer, was her sense of invincibility. Her sense of confidence. Warren Hoyt had taught her how vulnerable she really was."

"‘It’s just like last summer,’ murmured Marquette, still staring at the trees. ‘The Surgeon started killing around this time, too.’ ‘It’s the heat,’ said Rizzoli as she reached for her cell phone. ‘It brings the monsters out.’"

Even if I am not sure if I love this book or not I still would recommend it, mostly because the Rizzoli and Isles book series is great and this book is important for the flow of the rest of the series.

Bisous

Outfit of the Day #9: Haircut

So I finally got my hair cut! I have been wanting to cut it short for ages now. AGES! But as usually, I postponed it and postponed it until it was in dire need of being cut. I've had shorter hair than this before so for me cutting my hair wasn't a huge deal, I just haven't had the time to do it until now.

Bag - Satchel Bag With Zip Flap (in Orange) - ASOS / Dress - Kookai (old) / Shoes - Reebook (old)

There are couple of reasons why I wanted to cut my hair short, since I am not planning on dyeing my hair this year (see: 26 Things Before my 26th Birthday) I felt like it was a great time to cut out as much of the old dyed hair. I have as well for the past year (and probably even longer) been horribly bored of my hair, my hair is very hard to handle and it takes ages for me to dry it and style it, and it doesn't help how windy Geneva is! I step outside with gorgeous hair and two minutes later someone is touching it or the wind has blown it in the sky. So for the past year I have pretty much worn side braids and buns. So I am hoping for my hair to be more manageable at this length.

You can still see a lot of the hair dye in my hair but it feels more manageable to grow it out when I cut off so much of it. And I feel quite liberated for cutting my hair, frequently people are shocked when I told them I was cutting my hair. There is some stigmatization for cutting long hair shorter. But it just isn't an issue with me, if you want to cut your hair cut it, it grows back most of the time.

Maybe I should write as well how the hairdresser was since I find it hard to choose a hairdresser in Geneva. I went to is called Rhizone and is over at Rue de Monthoux 23, it is super convenient since they are right by the Monthoux bus stop (bus 25 and 1) direction Jardin Botanique.

First I need to mention the fact that their hair washing station has massage chairs! MASSAGE CHAIRS! It was a bliss! They as well use kms California products which are cruelty free! The guy that cut my hair was great as well, he understood what I wanted with my hair and made it better then I thought it would turn out. He didn't chit chat, which is something I prefer since it gives me time to think instead of having to think about what to say and he didn't try to sell me stuff I didn't need. Definitely a perfect hair cutting experience.

Bisous

Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday

I haven't written one of these posts in AGES, I haven't been feeling very motivated. I need to start weighing myself again and actually start to work out. As you can see on the picture I have maxed out my 10 000 steps stars so if I don't start working out and drinking water I will never finish this chart!

At the moment I have 43 stars, and I had planned on having 65 stars by the end of the month.

I decided to get a haircut before I reached 70 stars since I really wanted to cut my hair and I felt it might kick me back into gear.

Bisous

26 Things Before my 26th Birthday: Update 1-13

I wanted to write an update for my 26 Things Before my 26th Birthday list but at the same time not much was happening with my list since it is more of an ongoing project. I decided to split it into two parts since it might be too long for one post! 

1.Only buy Kindle books (University books excluded) 
This one is working very well, I even bought some of my Uni books in the kindle format and I really liked reading them on my laptop so I might even try to buy more of my Uni books on kindle next semester.

2. Only buy Cruelty Free products 
I am doing very well with this one, I haven't bought any products that aren't cruelty free!

3. Finish a full year of University (60ects) 
I could almost check this one as being done, however, I sadly failed one of my final exams so I only have 55 ects credits at the moment! I have to see when I can retake the final exam but that might be in January.

4. Have 500 posts on my blog
I think this post is number 288 so I am slowly getting there.

5. Read 12 books and review them 
I have read six books and reviewed one! I am writing the other reviews and I am pretty sure I will accomplish this goal!

6. Re-style the blog
Hasn't happened at all, it might happen when I move to Iceland.

7.Advertise on 12 different blogs
I need to look into what blogs I want to advertise on and all that jazz.

8. Have 12 sales in my store
Nope, has not happened, it isn't even open.

9. Have 50 YouTube videos
I am doing great with this one, at the moment I have 29 videos. I am trying to upload twice a week and I might try to upload three times a week. I just really like making videos.

10. Post 12 recipes
I haven't started this one and I am not really sure if I will manage since I will be moving and all that hassle this year.

11. Do a spending ban challenge
This one was an easy one! I was on a spending ban for the first couple of month of the year and I am on a spending ban this summer until I move!

12. Finish my novel
I have a story about this one! I wanted to get the file from my old laptop, I turned the laptop on, deleted the file and then I emptied the recycle bin. Not a great moment for me. I had however send me the file but it wasn't with the most recent changes.

13. Do a project 26 pan (without choosing items)
This is going on at the moment, and I have finished 6 items, I am pretty sure I can finish the rest in the next 6/7 months.

Bisous