3 things you can do this Sunday for yourself

I am a creature of habit and comfort. I have no problem in having an extremely busy Saturday filled with lunches, meetings, parents - you name it - but, when it comes to Sunday, I tend to get quite strict in making any plans. I prefer to keep Sundays for myself and do some of the things that I love, even if they are few - they are rewarding and it makes me finish the weekend in a great mood and start Monday energized and positive.

Here are some of the things that I really love doing on a regular Sunday:

• I like to step out of my normal eating mode and try something new or revert to something I know but really really love. It definitely must be something I am not eating every day - so it usually feels like a true indulgence

• When the temperatures are warm I love to go for a walk in the nature. I usually do a bike ride in the forest near my house, in a very slow pace so I can enjoy the very clean air and the peaceful yet thrilling sounds the forest makes. I immediate feel refreshed and see things more in perspective. These forest walks have become my go-to for mind detox. 

• And finally, I like to end up the day in a very calm and intimate atmosphere. I usually make a cup of my favorite tea and curl in bed. Depending on my mood I either read a book, watch a movie or just use the time to sit with my husband and have very long talks. I cherish a lot these moments, they became very dear to me. 

Any plans for today?

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Weekend reading

Image via Pinterest

This week was all sorts of busy at work and at home. I handled and finished some big tasks at work, I finally tackled some changes at home, I got a bit productive here, I even managed to indulge in some things for myself - get some quiet moments for reading, relaxing and maybe just being. All in all a great week in my book!

Weekend has now started and I saw no better way to step my foot in it than with a cup of coffee and some nice writing and updating. So below are my top 5 link picks for this weekend:

• 4 Exercises for your best butt and body - since Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner I get quite enthusiastic and energetic about doing workouts in different forms. I now have a routine which I absolutely love: I work out fixed trainings 2 times/week; I run 3 times/week and 1 other time (or more, depending on my time) I work a bit at home. And for this I like to follow the exercises in the above article - it helps me get toned and lean in the areas I need the most.

• How to read body language - I liked this article because it's funny and it actually made me be more aware of my own body language. So I will probably watch others like a hawk in a hard attempt to understand what they think:) 

• Great inspiration for outdoor spaces - As I am also trying to make my backyard more comfortable for outdoor activities, I find myself in a constant state of research of images/inspiration that can fit my taste, my space and my budget. I liked a lot this article especially because i thought is was funny to see how different Nordic people decor their spaces compared to Spanish/Mediterranean people. 

• Cannes - what celebrities wore - I think this one speaks for itself - so if you are curious, just browse around to see what the celebs wore for this year's festival.

• Summer Fashion Staples - since we are just few weeks away from official start of summer, I am sure most of you already have lists or virtual carts around the web with must haves of the season. I am sharing this article as the items proposed are just up my alley - chic, comfortable but still different and very fresh. My favorites are 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8. I have even already added these items to my wishlist.

Enjoy the reading and your weekend friends!

Deco experiments 3 - Bedrooms

Lately I have been drawn to neutral shades - be that in my clothes or in my house. 

Generally this color palette gives the subtle feeling of peace, calm and makes you feel rested and relaxed the moment you step in the room. I fantasize quite often being in such a room, absorbing the tranquility with a book in my hand and a view across the bed - reading few pages here and there, watching the sun set or even waking up early to see the sun rise.

My current bedroom is also built on warm shades of yellow and white but I get an itch of adding some wooden elements to it for a more earthly feeling of rooting. Above are some quite inspiring ideas that I might just put in practice one day.

Enjoy and get inspired!  

Experiments talk - Emotional benefits of rain

More often than not, when we think of rain we do it with rather negative or mixed feelings - another damn rainy day/ when will the rain stop so I cam get on with my life/ damn rain is ruining all my plans and so on and so forth.

But what most of us don't know is that rain is actually extremely beneficial for our well being. During rainy periods the Earth itself cleanses, goes through procedures of purifying everything that is toxic and causing problems. And guess what? The same thing applies to our body, but on a more subtle level. 

So why not take advantage of this natural cleansing way? 

Curl up in bed, take a hot cup of your favorite tea and just sit in silence. Use these moments only for yourself, think of them as your me-time. Use this time to indulge, to analyse your feelings, thoughts, emotions. Make a review of what has been going on in your life lately, where have you focused all your energy? Was it in your closest goals or was it spread in life's distractions? 

I personally love to use these moments only for thinking, for light meditation if you will. I peacefully go through every aspect of my life, through all that I have been doing lately. It helps me gain clarity over my life and my general goals, as we tend to get miss-tracked a lot. One evening spent in bed, with my windows opened to hear the rain ends up refreshing me more than I can imagine, helps me to put things into perspective and re-charges me for what I have ahead. It make me be happy for the good things in my life and willing to find solutions for those that need improvement.

It is raining now and the weather forecasts show rain for several more days. Use this time selfishly and visualize how the rain is cleaning all your worries and gives you optimism and perspective. Sometimes 5 minutes can bring you more than an entire day!

Books I read - Revenge wears Prada

Lately I found myself being in the mood for some really light chick lit, the kind that really won't make you think to much of what is happening in the book but it rather takes you into some fantasy world, and you end up asking yourself - do people really have these kinds of problems? Most probably some do, but I think the big majority don't.

So, to nurture my easy reading itch, I picked up the sequel from the famous The devil wears Prada, easily named Revenge wears Prada. One advice for you - don't ready the book, wait for the movie if it comes. You know what they say ,and its true in 99% of the cases, that the book is much better than the movie? Well, not the case here.

I quite enjoyed The Devil wears Prada movie and am sure that the sequel will be nice as well, but the book - not really worth it. It starts showing where Andy is 10 years after quitting Runway magazine and most of the times is brings back flashes of explanations from the past to show some sort if continuity between the books. She has a new boyfriend and then husband, she's friends with the much-dreaded 1st assistant, Emily Charlton, she owns her own magazine now (of course), meets up with Miranda Devil Priestly, things heat up - they end up selling the magazine to her, she gets a divorce and in the end gets back with Alex - the boyfriend from book 1. The end! Really, that's all there is! 

I am avid reader and I love books, but most of all, I love to understand what the writer wanted to convey as message. Because of that, most of the times I stick till the end of the book, even if I am not quite fond of it. So as you can see, I don't really recommend this book, just wait for the movie, I am sure that the story will be translated much better on the screens than in written form.

Next up on my night stand - Sega: Spiritual adventures in Nepal - the story of an ordinary guy who used to be a copywriter at McCann. The guy has a great sense of humor so I am quite excited to see how he built his story. Will make a review once I am done!

Happy mid-week friends! Be good!