My Monthly Goals: March Recap and April Goals

I'm quite happy with how March went! We celebrated my dad's birthday, days got warmer, I got some great grades and some just alright grades, got some project done that I have wanted to do for some time now. All in all I think March was success! 

1. Organize my closet (armoire)
I am so happy I set this as a goal and that I actually accomplished this goal! I did two videos about it so hop over to my YouTube channel to see those videos.
2. Wake up with the sun
This one did so not happen! 
3. Choose a goal for Lent
I chose to write for 40 minutes a day and wrote more about it right here. 
4. Lean 10 new words in Arabic
Another one that I didn't do this month! I think I will focus more on my Arabic during the summer.
5. Post 4 YT videos
6. Finish the 100 things challenge
Success, and I wrote about it here and here.
7. Keep on going with the Spending Ban
I didn't write about this one, but I kept on strong with my Spending Ban. I am going to keep on being on a Spending Ban for some time now!
8. Write or post on YT about what minimalism means to me.
I didn't accomplish this goal but I am planning on writing down my thoughts on what being a minimalist means to me and how I plan on getting there.
9. Get 10 stars on my Wellness and Weight Loss chart
I actually earned 16 stars and bought myself some gorgeous tulips! 
10. Do Yoga 3 times for 30 minutes
I did Yoga once for 10 minutes! Not a great achievement.

When I was setting myself the goals for April I had to be very careful since (hopefully) my finals will start in end of April!

April Goals:
1. Start following my daily cleaning schedule again!
2. Study hard for finals
3. Take pictures of a new place in Geneva
4. Try out a new recipe. 
5. Have 50 stars on Wellness and Weight Loss chart
6. Do Yoga for 100 minutes 
7. Post 4 OOTD
8. Finish the Project Pan that I have going on at the moment 
9. Sew 1 item
10. Set up a photography area

Bisous

Friday Favorites and Flops #5

I haven't written one of these since October! But I want to start again since I like writing down during the week what was a favorite and what was a flop!

Favorites:
* I loved cleaning out my closet and donating all the clothes that I wasn't using, it felt nice not having these extra things hanging around the apartment!
* I've been doing pretty good in Uni and it makes me feel amazing when I get good grades.
* My hair is growing really well and thick, which is amazing since I was been shedding like crazy couple of months ago.


Flops:
* I had to re-upload my Closet Clean-Out video on YouTube since I did something wrong and it wasn't in HD!
* It is ant season again and like always the ants seem to LOVE our apartment!


I think that is all for today!

Bisous

100 Things Decluttering Challenge: 50-100

Who would have thought that the last part of this challenge would be so easy! If you are subscribed to me on YouTube (you definitely should I love making videos!) you might have noticed I posted a video about decluttering my closet.

As I was decluttering I found over 60 item of clothing that I decided to donate!! I as well decided to donate around 10 pairs of shoes! So items number 50-100 in my Decluttering challenge were all clothes!

I feel great getting rid of things and I feel like I am going more and more towards minimalism (well, my idea of minimalism) and wanting to own less stuff! I feel that both my blog and my YouTube channel will focus more about NOT owning things in comparison to owning a lot of things and being organized.

I feel that I still own a lot of clothing and I will work on not owning that much of clothing but I decided that with a lot of my things to wear them until I wouldn't want to wear them anymore instead of donating them right away.

I as well didn't want to donate a lot of my summer clothing since I will have to wear them this summer but I'll definitely donate them in the autumn!

Bisous!

Washing Clothes By Hand: Week 3

I can't believe I haven't written anything for a week! I am insanely busy with University and all!

Week three was quite a special week for me since I actually finished washing all the dirty laundry that had been lying around the apartment! I washed something almost every day (I skipped one day) and in total I washed 9 sink loads.

So, lets see what I washed.

Socks: 15	Hoody:
Underwear: 10	Shirt: 4
T-shirts: 25	Dress: 4
Towels: 3	Pillowcase: 1
Duvet Cover + Sheet: 1	Tights + jogging pants: 1
Jeans: 1	Skirt: 2
Cardigan: 2	Shorts: 6

I'm not sure what I will write about for week 4 but what I can say is that washing all the clothing in the kitchen sink has really given me a different view on laundry. I actually enjoy doing laundry now. I am as well excited to see how everything will go when I actually don't have all this laundry that I need to do but more just the normal amount of laundry.

You can read all about my hand washing adventures here.

Bisous

P.S. I posted a YouTube video today about cleaning my closet! You can see it right here.

Washing Clothes By Hand: Week 2

I am being late writing this post, my week 1 post can be found here and I did all the washing one week after another (so it isn't like I just finished my second week now)

I have to say that my washing technique has changed a bit and I feel like I am both faster and I feel the clothes are getting cleaner than before!

This week I didn't wash anything for 3 days since I just was too busy to wash. I still managed to wash 7 sink loads. I managed to make a huge dent into all the laundry that has been lying around.

What I managed to wash with 7 sink loads was:

Socks: 38	Sweaters: 4
Underwear: 16	Shirts: 2
T-shirts: 19	Dress: 1
Towels: 2	Pillowcase: 1
Tank-tops: 1	Tights: 2
Jeans: 4	Leggings: 5
Cardigans: 2	Shorts: 1

I am still in such a shock of how much clothing we actually own! I have been very good at removing clothing from the clean stack that I know I am going to donate and as well ones that are damaged.

At the same time out apartment is getting laundry free our tiny closet is getting packed to the brim and I need to start organizing it and really have a big clean out. But that is what March is going to be for!

Bisous

Wellness and Weight Loss Wednesday

The last time I wrote a post like this was in October! The reason I added Wellness into the Weight Loss part was because I am not good at losing weight, I am brilliant at gaining it and I didn't want the whole focus to be on the fact that I don't lose weight.

I don't want these posts to end up being me shaming myself into losing weight, I want them to be me being happy about myself and how I am doing in general.

I mentioned briefly in my March Goals that I wanted to reach 10 stars on my Wellness and Weight Loss chart and today I just wanted to talk about my system. 

Firstly it is a goal star rewards system for both weight loss and just general wellness. I get one gold star (more like orange star) when I reach certain goals. In total with this chart I can reach 196 stars!

The goals that I have are:

Walk 10 000 steps

Work out for 30 minutes

Kilograms lost

Centimeters lost

100 sit-ups

10 push-ups

2 liters of water every day for 7 days

For the steps, sit-ups and push-ups it doesn't matter how long it takes me to complete the goal for me to get a star. So if I walk 2000 steps for 5 days I get a star! And when I do 50 sit-ups every day I get a star every other day. 

For every 10 stars I earn I get a prize.

10 stars: flowers	60 stars: nail polish	110 stars: shoes	160 stars: water boiler
20 stars:  magazine	70 stars: hair cut	120 stars: full size Weleda Body Lotion	170 stars: dress
30 stars: bath oils	80 stars: t-shirt	130 stars: make-up	180 stars: brassiere
40 stars:  body scrub	90 stars:  paint brushes	140 stars: underwear	190 stars: bathing suit
50 stars:  lipstick	100 stars: full size Yankee Candle	150 stars: jeans	200 stars: curling iron

I feel this motivates me because I really want certain things on my prize list and I the chart is right in front of my face when I wake up and whenever I am lying in bed (since I like to study in bed I spend a lot of time in there).  

I am hoping to have this chart all filled up before September and I think I can manage it :)

Bisous

Review: Migros - I am Natural Cosmetics - Night Cream with Rice and Peach Kernel Oil for Dry and Sensitive Skin

Another product from the I am Natural Cosmetics line that Migros has, I am not at all shocked because there are so many products I love from that line! Today I want to talk about the night cream I am using at the moment! The reason why I write much more about skincare products than make up products is because I go through skincare quicker than make up products (and since I have the rule of one in one out I buy more of skincare) and I really believe good skincare means less need for make up! When I am vigilant with my morning and evening skincare routine I don't need foundation (I actually don't own one, I only own powder and BB cream) or anything that covers my skin! But back to the topic at hand! The night cream I have been loving for the past months!

In German this cream is called Nachtcreme - trockene & sensible Haut - reis & pfirsichkernöl and in French Créme De Nuit - peaux sèches & sensibles - riz & huile de noyau de pêche.

First I want to mention how Migros describes the cream:

The rich, soothing formulation immediately provides intensive moisture. In addition, special care formula with organic Shea Butter supports the skin's own regeneration process overnight.

I can easily say that Shea butter is one of my favorite moisturizing ingredients sadly this night cream doesn't smell like Shea butter. I can't really pinpoint what this cream smells like, for me it somehow smells calming with a hint of peaches.

What I do know for a fact about this night cream is that it is really hydrating! It doesn't break me out and it has become a part of my evening skincare routine. It cream itself absorbs quickly into my skin, however, it actually leaves a greasy residue that takes time to be absorbed into my skin. I don't find it to be a problem since it is a night cream but it would be a problem if it would be a day cream.

In the morning the cream has completely been absorbed and my skin feels incredibly soft!

What I don't like is that the ingredient list isn't on their webpage or on the bottle itself, and I of course threw that away as soon as I had taken the picture of the product. There isn't any information on the bottle itself except for the name of the product in German and French.

The tube is 50 ml (1.7 fl oz) and costs 11.90CHF

Bisous

100 Things Decluttering Challenge: 26-50

The first 25 things that I decluttered were super easy! It took not even 5 minutes to choose what should leave this apartment! The next 25 items went much slower and when I just had two items left on this list I just somehow forgot about it! However, since my word for March is minimalism I decided to get back into the gear and finish this challenge!

26.-28. Blue Plastic Cups
29. Neutral Deo Roll-on (Have had it since January and HATE it, tossed it)
30. Big Glass Jar
31. Sunscreen (old, tossed it)
32. Nivea after sun (Hated it, in the bin)
33. Hello Kitty Lotion (too many chemicals)
34. Bourjois Paris Smoky Eyes - 06 Violet Romantic (Reviewed, gave it away)
35. - 37. Underwear (tossed)
38. Perfume Bottle (gave it away)
39. Plastic folder (was broken)
40. Skirt (donated)
41. Shirt (donated)
42. Sweater (donated)
43. Pair of heels (donated)
44. Handbag (damaged, tossed)
45. Sock (Yes one single sock)
46. Foam Curlers (tossed, never really use them)
47. Nivea Diamond Shampoo Sample (Gave it away)
48. Veet waxing strips (gave it away)
49. -50. Two pairs of shoes (threw away, were broken)

I have thrown away some other things that I can't remember (things that were damaged) but I decided not to try to count them. I am planning on cleaning out my closet this month and I am certain I will donate 50 items of clothing!

So if everything goes by plan this challenge will finally be over at the end of this month!

Bisous

Outfit of the Day #7 - I Hate Doorbells

The other night, (at 4:30 am to be exact) some dumb-ass started to ring our doorbell. Since I knew we weren't expecting someone at 4:30 in the night I didn't bother to get out of bed.

Bag - Satchel Bag With Zip Flap (in Orange) - ASOS / Tights - Light Blue - Avant-Première / Dress - ASOS Skater Dress With Polo Neck And 3/4 Sleeves (Black) / Shoes - Reebook (old)

You would think a person would realize after I don't know maybe the third ring that NO ONE would be opening the door. However, this person did not. At first he (I am assuming it is a he) rang the door bell couple of more times, then he tried to open the door (which was luckily locked) and then he kept on ringing the doorbell for AN HOUR!!

He did stop ringing our doorbell for couple of minutes to run downstairs and ring their doorbell! At 5:30 the door opposite us opened up and the guy when that way. So I am just assuming this person didn't know the different between left and right.

The problem with this is that it happens way too frequently, if it's not at 4 am it's at 1 am and it just goes on and on to the point that when I hear a doorbell ring I get a knot in my stomach and just feel horrible for a long time after the person has stopped ringing the doorbell!

The dress I am wearing was a replacement dress for this one, since it was one of my favorite items of clothing. I was so glad when I found this dress and it is as good as my old one. As I am looking at these pictures I realize I need to buy some new shoes for the summer! 

Concealer: MaxFactor - Erase - Ivory 7 / Powder: Clinique - Almost Powder Makeup - 01 Fair (VF) / Eye liner: Lancôme - Le Crayon Khôl - Noir / Mascara: Astor - Big & Beautiful LovelyDoll Attractive Black Mascara / Lips: MAC - Kissable Lip Colour - Love Peck

Bisous

My Lent Goal

I would like to start this by saying that I am not at  all religious but I like certain religious holidays, like Christmas, Easter, and other food related holidays! I do like Lent and Ramadan for non-food related reasons. I feel Lent and Ramadan are perfect occasions to better yourself in one way or another.

I don't believe in denying myself something for the time since I don't really see how that will enrich my life but rather I like adding something to my life.

As you may know the first day of the Lent was yesterday and I have been thinking for a long time what my goal this year should be. 

I finally decided on a goal that I believe will help me both mentally and physically. I set myself the goal to write for 40 minutes a day. 

I plan on not using these 40 minutes to write for school but more for my pleasure. Therefore I can write in my diary, on the blog, some poetry, short story or work on my novel.

Did you set yourself any goals for this years lent?

Bisous

My Monthly Goals: February Recap and March Goals

I posted my February goals quite late in February but I had been working on them before I posted them. I think I did quite well and I am actually happy with how the month went!

February Goals:
1. Be on a Spending Ban!
Yes! I have been very good at not spending money this month! And I am going to continue with my spending ban in March!
2. Have 15 days of no Spending
Yes, not a problem! I managed this one very well and it wasn't actually hard to not spend money on most days. I even passed some days without even thinking about spending money!
3. Write down everything I spend
I wasn't super good at this one but I did write down most of the things I bought.
4. Spend no more than 100chf on groceries per week
Another success! It wasn't as hard as I expected, we were just careful of what we bought.3
5. Finish all the food in the freezer
I didn't finish everything, but it looks much better now! I as well managed to finish quite a lot of thing out of the pantry! I only have little bit of spinach and some raspberries left in my freezer (and of course coffee!)
6. Only watch 1 hour TV per day
Success! And it is something I plan on continuing. I think what motivated me mostly is how easy it is to fall into the pill of TV. There is so much you can be watching all day! I was as well watching so many different shows but I have already started to narrow down the shows that I am watching by just asking myself if this is the show I would like to spend my hour (40min) watching and usually it wasn't.
7. Finish washing all the laundry
A total success!! I am so happy to say that our apartment is now laundry free! I never thought that was possible. I actually washed everything by hand and I just need to sit down and start writing all about that because for me it was both such an eye opener and it just helped me tremendously in coping with all the laundry!
8. Keep a food diary for 10 days
I did keep a food diary for 5 of days but I need to find a more comfortable way of keeping a food diary.
9. Take pictures of a new place in Geneva
This sadly didn't happen since the weather just wasn't that great this month and I just didn't find a place that looked great. Geneva during the winter isn't really a pretty place.
10. Post one vlog
Success! You can see the weekly vlog I posted here.

And now onto my March goals!
1. Organize my closet (armoire)
2. Wake up with the sun
3. Choose a goal for Lent
4. Lean 10 new words in Arabic
5. Post 4 YT videos
6. Finish the 100 things challenge
7. Keep on going with the Spending Ban
8. Write or post on YT about what minimalism means to me
9. Get 10 stars on my Wellness and Weight Loss chart
10. Do Yoga 3 times for 30 minutes

I am actually quite happy with how March is going to be! February was extremely busy and I had a final exam in one of my class (which I did good in) so I am hoping March will be a bit less busy!

Bisous