SOME (50) OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST THINGS IN LIFE

Some of my absolute favorite things in life

1. Hearing your favorite song on the radio
2. Really tight hugs
3. Catching a smile from someone you like
4. Speaking only with eyes with someone
5. Sunsets at the seaside
6. Falling in love
7. Forehead kisses
8. Unexpected compliments
9. Getting recognized for the work you're doing
10. Long and deep conversations in the middle of the night
11. Kittens and puppies
12.Coffee in bed
13. That moment when you feel totally complete in your life
14. A film that you still remember and think about days after watching it.
15. Red lipstick that makes you feel like you could rule the world
16. When lights go down just before a movie starts
17. Getting a great haircut
18. Seeing someone after a really long time
19. Children hugs
20. Book you can't let go of and get lost in it completely
21. Summer wind
21. Road trips
22. Live music concerts somewhere in a forest or a desert
23. A cat purring on your lap
24. Perfect hair day
25. Learning something new really quickly
26. Finding out you are perfectly healthy
27. The airports when you are the one leaving on a trip
28. Achieving something you didn't think you could
29. Crying from happiness
30. Laughter, loud, hysterical laughter
31. Singing loudly in a car with the windows down
32. Knowing that someone misses you
33. The lyrics of the song that seem to be written just for you
34. Summer rainstorms
35. Your new favorite song you listen to 70 times a day
36. Nature in the Springtime
37. Walking barefoot on a wet grass after a Summer rainstorm
38. Hot shower after a festival or a camping trip
39. Lazy weekends when you get to spend your whole day in bed
40. New season of your favorite show
41. Having your weekend all filled with wonderful plans
42. Getting a little bit lost in a new city
43. Taking a perfect picture
44. The feeling of getting in your bed after a long day
45. New friendships which don't feel awkward at all
46. Your favorite food
47. Finding a wonderful dress on sale
48. Seeing your parents happy together
49. Getting a ticket to see your favorite band in the world
50. Getting out of your comfort zone

 

MY ENDLESS LIST OF GRATITUDE #28

Another week is gone and it was a veeery long one, I have to say! But it's finally weekend, so it's all good!
It was filled with more doctors appointments than I would have loved to, but I'm glad it's at least over for a while. On top of that, I also had very many errands to run and had quite a few meetings (I've started volunteering in a very exciting movie festival), so I was a real life busy bee!
Now I just took about a hundred pictures of the solar eclipse which was pretty much the most exciting week this week (even though people are acting pretty crazy these past few days!) and I am waiting for my red velvet cake to bake. It's my Mum's birthday, so it's definitely a red velvet cake kind of day.

1. Over the weekend, I took a long walk around the city and it was finally sunny and warm enough to be walking around with a coffee in hand. And it was green outside and no signs of snow!
2. The beautiful solar eclipse.
3. Oh, I also had my hair cut quite a bit. I'm still getting used to having my hair this short, I have never had them so short in my life, but I like it!
4. The city with castles in the middle of it is a good city to live in. This is what I see every day when I'm going to Uni.

Hope you're going to have a good weekend! Did you see the eclipse? How was it?

MAKE YOUR MORNING BETTER AND STRESS-FREE

It's 7 AM and your alarm lets you know that it's time to wake up by screaming loudly. Of course, you try to snooze it at least three times and then roll out of the bed feeling sorry for yourself and saying bye to your bed which seems to be so much more comfortable than before. What a good start to your day!
You know how in the movies or commercials some people seem to have incredibly beautiful and calm mornings without rushing anywhere? Whenever I watched Gossip Girl, I always wondered how on earth they have time to make waffles for breakfast, then sit and eat them calmly. Where is the rush that we all are used to? Anyway, I have 5 tips to have your mornings stress-free,  I've tried them all, they really helped me to feel better and more alive, hope they're going to help you too!

Here are also my tips for having a better sleep, you might like to check them out.

. Leave your curtains open when you go to bed.

I don't have curtains, so it's pretty easy for me but I know loads of people have them and mostly they close them when they go to sleep. It's difficult to wake up anyway but when it's dark it's a whole other story. So when Spring comes back and there is actually some light outside as you're waking up (!), it's good to see it instead of waking up in a pitch black room. It's such a positive start once you wake up with the sunshine outside.

. Make your bed when you wake up. 

My Mum used to be angry with me for not making my bed and I seriously didn't seem to care because why would you do this in the morning, when you're trying to function as a human and all you want to do is fall back asleep. But then I grew up a little and realized that it actually does make a difference. It feels good to leave home when you know you're not leaving the biggest mess behind and it's a pleasure to come back to your room when the bed is all clean and beautiful. Do this, seriously, you will thank yourself for that!

. Make fresh coffee. 

This is for all the coffee lovers like myself out there. I never skip this step in my day, I have to have a cup of coffee before I step outside or I at least have to grab it on the go. I know it's not the healthiest choice, but I could seriously fall asleep in the middle of the class without it and that wouldn't be a very good thing.  If you have more time in the morning and you don't have to run around, sitting and drinking your coffee can set you on a very positive start of the day. 

. Stretch in the mornings.

I'm not talking about full on yoga classes but if you actually can have a workout in the morning, go you, I really admire people who can do that! For the rest of us who are not feeling like working out on the early hours of the day, you can simply stretch out like a cat, you can even do that in the bed. It feels amazing.
There are some great videos out there as well, I love this one which is a very short yoga practise  and there is a longer one on the days when you have a little bit more time.

. Play upbeat music. 

I noticed that when I play some upbeat music in the mornings and have little dance parties while I'm getting ready, I feel much better. You can create a playlist for yourself on Spotify or on Youtube with the songs that put you in the best mood, with the ones that make you dance and play it in the mornings as you're getting ready!

LOVE YOURSELF MORE - 8 QUOTES FROM EMPOWERING WOMEN

 Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a good day and I hope you're going to have an amazing week.
You know how Spring makes everything look more alive, prettier and more vibrant? I also feel like every Spring it's a new chance to reborn again or at least to wake up after the longest winter which literally seems endless when you're in the middle of it. But Spring can be a new chance to start all over again, to me Spring seems more like a new beginning than even the New Year does. I don't do well after the Christmas festivities are over but once Spring makes the nature come alive again, I start thinking to myself that it's also a chance for me to become alive again.
But sometimes you just end up having quite a crappy day, sometimes the odds are just not in your favor and loving yourself seems like the hardest task in the world. Of course we all know how important loving yourself is but it's also very difficult, it's a never ending battle with yourself and we all have those days when up looking like actual zombies and nothing we do can change the situation, when we try so hard for something and don't get the response we want, when someone hurts us, when you fall down with your face to the ground - there are million ways to stop questioning the love for yourself and finding one thing that always help to get the love back is pretty hard. But you can do little things every single day, it's easier and I guess it's more effective!
So if you're having one of those days, or you're just struggling a little bit with self-love, here are 7 quotes from really great and empowering women which hopefully show you how to love yourself more.

"When a women becomes her own best friend life is easier." - Diane Von Furnstenberg

  "Behind every successful woman is herself."

MY ENDLESS LIST OF GRATITUDE #27

Hello, beautiful people! It's mid March already and OMG how did this happen? I know we always say it, but time really flies by insanely quickly. I just had a though this week - this is the second semester of the second year in uni and it's pretty scary when you think about that. Winter is truly gone now and sometimes when I'm sitting in a class, sun starts smiling outside and I start smiling with her.
This week I started waking up from my biggest bear winter sleep and actually went out which was amazing. Seeing my best friends and meeting some new amazing people are always the thing that make me the happiest person. Also, we had a very beautiful celebration this week - Lithuania celebrated 25th birthday of its independence and it was a very beautiful and proud day for all of us living here.
In between my studying sessions, I watched Pretty Little Liars like a crazy person because I'm determined to get through all of the season again until the big A reveal in two weeks. I'm on the season 3, so I have no idea how I'm planning to do this, but here's hoping!

1, 4. My city celebrating the 25 years of freedom.
2. My favorite red lipstick which is perfect for Spring.
3. Doughnuts, coffee and the best friend on a sunny Sunday is the best thing you could imagine.

♪ Song of the week  Sam Smith - Restart

What have you been up to these past few days? Tell me in the comments! 

50 TIPS TO LOVING & CHERISHING YOURSELF MORE TODAY

1. Buy yourself flowers. The most beautiful ones you could find, the most colorful ones which could make you smile a lot.

2. Have no one to go to movies with but you reeeally want to see this movie? So what?! Go by yourself, it might feel uncomfortable at first but afterwards you will feel like you've achieved something really good for you.

3. Buy yourself coffee before going to classes or work.

4. Take a walk for two hours in the nicest part of your city or in a beautiful park that you've always wanted to visit.

5. Spend your whole Saturday rolling in your bed watching all the movies you've had for ages on your to-watch list.

6. Cancel all of your appointments and meetings and read a book curled up in your bed.

7. Go get a professional manicure.

8. Before going out, put a red lipstick on. Even if you're spending your day at home, put it on anyways, it will feel good seeing your reflection in the mirror with this beautiful lipstick on.

9. Have a bubble bath.

10. Go to the nicest bakery and buy yourself that one cupcake which makes your mouth water while looking at it. Then eat it slowly.

11. Listen an album by someone who has an amazing singing voice and sing it as loudly as you can. It doesn't matter if you can't sing really well, it's even more fun this way!

12.  Clean your closet. You haven‘t worn it in three years or it still has a label on it? You won‘t wear it anytime soon, give it away to someone who will.

13. Watch your favorite movie. Pick the one that makes you feel great. Don't be ashamed of the choice of it, it can be as girly as you want.

14. Take a beautiful piece of paper, a beautiful pen and spend some quality time writing a long letter to yourself. Be very specific about what you love about yourself, write compliments. Smile afterwards.

15. Look in the mirror, straight into your eyes and smile while doing so. It can feel uncomfortable, but just try. It might feel good after being uncomfortable.

16. Book yourself a trip. You deserve it and money spent for a trip is money spent well.

17. Decide once and for all to remove all the negative people from your life, old friendships that no longer serve you and move on to a happier life.

18. Have a big glass of your favorite wine.

19. Slow down and breathe deeply. Breathe in, breathe out, let air fill your lungs. 

20. Put on your nicest pajamas, put a crazy amount of the body butter that smells incredibly good and slip in your bed with fresh bedding. Have the best sleep.

21. Stretch your body. You know how cats stretch so beautifully all the time? They also seem very happy! Do this, it feels wonderful.

22. Write a long gratitude list with all the things that work in your life, that are amazing. Then read it again and smile about it.

23. Have a little dance party in your underwear.

24. Watch an entire show of your new (or old) favorite show without feeling guilty.

25. Stand tall, raise your head and walk with confidence whenever you go.

26. You know this wonderful "friend" called comparison? Screw it! Believe that you are wonderful just as you are. Because you really are.

27. Make yourself that one meal you know how to make really well, you know that one you could eat 24/7 and eat with pleasure.

28. Spend some time meditating. 10 minutes is also good.

29. Start looking at your body with love. You won't get a different body, so treat the one you have with as much love as you possibly can. Appreciate all the quirks it has.

30. Book yourself a massage or spend a day at the spa. You really deserve this.

31.  Call your friend you haven‘t seen in forever because studies, work, and life got in the way and just talk with them. Set up a coffee day, it‘s even better.

32.  Light some candles, dim the lights and read books or magazines. But not those ones about celebrities and gossip.

33. Write in your journal. Let your feelings out on that piece of paper. If you don‘t have a journal (which you totally should, by the way), take a piece of paper and it‘ll do as well.

34. Ask for help if you need. There is no shame or weakness in doing so, in fact, it only shows your strength. 

35. Believe that you are good enough just as you are. And that wherever you are in life, it is where you have to be.

36. Clean your laptop. Junk has the quality to pile up and there really are hundreds of old documents or pictures you don't need anymore. Delete them, your laptop will thank you.

37. Do that one thing you've always wanted to. Sign for a cooking class, start learning a new language, buy a photography course on-line. 

38. Hop into your or your friend's car and go for a little road trip to a different city for a day.

39. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables.

40. Wear your nicest dress or skirt.

41. Be kind to yourself and don't put too much pressure on yourself. 

42. Start your day with uplifting music and get out of your bed with a smile on your face even if it's 6 am and dark outside.

43. Forgive yourself for your mistakes you've done in the past.

44. Watch cat videos on Youtube. There's a whole different world when you type "cats" on Youtube and it's pretty wonderful.

45. Take a long nap. Children are allowed to do this every day, why don't we let ourselves do this? It's a wonderful thing!

46. Eat your favorite flavor of ice cream. You don't have to be sad to do this and cry into your bowl of ice cream, you can 

47. Play with your pet! You will make them happy this way and you will feel super good as well.

48. Put a tiara on you've had since your birthday from years ago and spend your day wearing it and feeling like a princess. Because you are.

49. Exercise. Go for a run, do yoga, do some cardio, lift weights, chose something that makes you feel good.

50. Believe that you are worthy of all the success and happiness in the world.

BECOME A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY

You know what feels really nice? Falling back in love with the city your living at. We always talk about visiting new cities, exploring new countries and cultures when sometimes (and quite often, really) we don't even know our surroundings. But you know what? Sometime's it's really fun to look at your city you've been living at for many years with different eyes and become a little tourist in it. I've been living in my city for my whole life (ahem, 21 years) and sometimes I get incredibly bored with it and want to hop on a plane and leave it, but when Winter ends and city becomes all green and beautiful again, I feel myself falling back in love with it all over again. And it's so cool!

Take a different road to your school / work

You've been walking the same road for many years and it has probably become super boring and you just walk like a little robot, without noticing anything around and just trying to reach your destination. But the next time you have to take this road, try taking a different road! It may be longer, it's even better if it's longer, but you will feel much better after doing so. You won't have to walk like a robot in a place that it's so familiar it hurts, you will see something new and you will arrive at your destination with a smile on your face. What could be better?

Look from above

Go to a tower or on the top of the hill or just to a very tall building and just look at your city from above. I cannot really imagine a city that would not look good this way when you can see every roof, tree and street from above. If you're not enjoying your city at the moment, climb on a hill and you will shift your perspective pretty easily, I think!

Go to the new cafés in your city

We all have this one favorite place where we like to get our coffee at. But instead of doing it, try finding a new place to get your coffee the next time! I'm pretty sure you already have some place in mind as you're reading this, that one place which always seems so cozy and nice, but you just walk pass it and go to your usual place. There are so many beautiful little or bigger cafes in every city (I'm pretty sure yours is no exception), so just expand your horizons and just go for it! Sit by the window with your big cup of coffee and spend some time looking through the window at people walking by, it's really fun!

Try walking more often

It's so much easier to hop into a car or take a bus instead of using your own feet and walking to where you need to be. We all do this, I do this as well, but sometimes it's SO nice to take a walk. Vilnius is not a huge city, so it's pretty easy to reach everything you need by feet and I love it, so when the weather is nice, I always try to take a walk instead of taking a crowded bus. So, unless you live in LA (I've heard no one walks there), I encourage you to take a walk as well! It's also a good exercise that you won't even feel you're doing, but you will also see your beautiful city even better than you would from the window of your car. 

Look Up

You can see incredibly beautiful things once you look up to the skies! All of these balconies, the churches, beautiful windows, the roofs are mostly seen only when you raise your head and all this beauty is not noticed enough. Try to put your phone into your bag and just look up to the sky and you will see so many beautiful parts of beautiful buildings and if the sky is blue, it's even better!

Take pictures

Take your camera or your phone and just take a walk like a real tourist who takes pictures of everything. I take pictures of everything anyways, so for me it's definitely not a problem to take a picture of a place I've seen for decades. Just go out and about your city and take pictures of everything beautiful that you see and I'm sure you will realize how many amazing places there are in your city once you have a memory card full of pictures. Go to the sights, go to the little streets or corners that tourists would definitely not know about and just explore your city without any real plans to reach a certain place, just explore like you would be visiting a city far away from your home.

THE DAY I GOT TO SEE ED SHEERAN

Oh my, this was an incredible, heartwarming, putting the best smile on my face kind of experience and I still can't believe it happened. No, I didn't get to meet him, although that would definitely be INSANE, no, I just went to his concert and saw only a small person on this big stage singing with the most beautiful voice and British accent you could imagine. But it was so so amazing. This guy is amazing!
Before going to the concert I was not even THAT excited, I mean, I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful ginger guy, but was not jumping from the excitement as it was as I was waiting for Kings of Leon to come on the stage. But the moment he stepped on that stage wearing his checked blue shirt and red sneakers I fell in love with him and his music even more. And honestly, how can you not love this guy? He is so so talented, so adorable, shy and seems to be so down to earth. He was kind of surprised to see so many people sign his songs in this country he's been to for the first time and his smile as the crowd was singing was so precious. And he is so cute! I'm the only one of the group of my friends who actually finds him attractive, but I guess that's just some kind of ginger vibe happening here!
I believe in quote "collect moments, not things" very much in life and try to live by it as much as I can, because there's simply not that many things in life as seeing someone you love play live on a big stage surrounded by a big crowd singing at the top of their lungs. As he was singing Give Me Love, I got this amazing, warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach and I just felt so happy standing in that crowd while people were waving with their phones and filling the whole arena with their lights.
Now me being the me I am, I'm going to spend couple of weeks obsessing about him a little bit, meaning reading many articles on the Internet, watching every possible video online and just playing his music all over again. I just can't help doing it and I just keep on dropping random facts to my friends randomly for a couple of weeks. They just got used to this, I guess and just patiently listen.
These kind of experiences prove that dreams can actually come true. And it's the best feeling in the world if you ask me. And now all of the songs will sound different, just like it always happens after hearing them live, they sound better because they always remind of these amazing memories.

HOW TO SURVIVE A BREAK-UP (9 TIPS TO HELP YOURSELF)

First of all, I am really sorry if you got your little heart broken. Loosing someone that has been a big part of your life is a terrible thing and you probably feel awful, but it's temporary, I hope you know this. It takes time to feel better, but you WILL feel better, I promise. I've been there, most of us been or will be there and even if it sucks big time, it can help you learn some pretty important lessons about your life. You probably don't think about any lessons right now when you feel like giving up on life, but don't you worry, I have some tips for you which, I hope, will help you to feel just a liitle bit better.

1. Cry it out

You deserve to cry as much as you want to at this point. You've got your heart broken, you probably feel like it's been ripped out of your chest, so you are allowed to cry. Cry until you can't anymore, until you've had enough of it and you get bored of it. Don't keep it all in, cry and let yourself wallow while you're mending your little heart. This is a perfect time to listen to Adele and Taylor Swift and cry as you're singing these songs. And after you're done singing Someone Like You, you are never getting back together, like, ever.

2. Don't stalk them on social media

After you've done crying or in between crying sessions you are probably going to have a big urge to check your ex on every possible social media. It's a bad idea, trust me. You don't need to know or see what he is doing, it definitely won't make you feel better if you're going to see a new picture he posted two nights after you guys broke up and you won't see sad songs posted on his Facebook wall that you're expecting to find. I would even advice to remove them from social media at all, I don't really believe in being friends with your ex and keeping people who just make you unhappy in your social media life is just unnecessary I think. This way you won't even have a chance to stalk you ex whenever you have a little bit too much wine, when you feel lonely on a cold winter night or in the middle of a great party. 

3. Don't write or call them

Sure, there are some situations in life when it's just impossible to avoid contact with your ex, but if it's possible, don't.do.it. It doesn't help anyone because break up has already happened and talking to them won't help you feel better, even if you think it will. Hearing your ex happy will drive you mad, because why isn't he sad when I can't stop crying??, but hearing him sad won't make you happier either. You don't have things to discuss anymore, you are not a part of each other lives and that article you found that he would definitely like, really shouldn't be sent to him. Make a deal with your best friend that you could call them when you're feeling your hand reaching the phone. Most importantly, DON'T call them when you're a little bit tipsy, that's just not needed, sweetie.

4. Don't forget to take care of you

If you got your heart broken, that doesn't mean your life has ended. You can spend couple of days at home with your baggiest pajama pants and loose t-shirt with Lisa Simpson on it, but in couple of days you will have to take a shower and leave home,  so just put on makeup on, paint your nails, put on the nicest dress you have and walking down the streets with your head held up high.
I didn't even let myself spend any days in my baggy clothes, I felt like I shouldn't stop taking care of myself just because my heart was not beating in my chest for a while. I believe that when you look good, when you put effort into putting your makeup on and doing your hair, you instantly feel better. And isn't that exactly what you need?

5. Be with people you love

Don't isolate yourself at home, go outside, spend time with people you love. You have probably neglected your best friends and your family when you got into a relationship, so it's a perfect time to say sorry and ask them to help you get your life back together. Your friends are probably awesome people, so they will help you without even asking and I was fortunate enough to have amazing friends helping me every step of the way and my family who really took care of me. Also, apologize in advance that you will be speaking a little bit too much about your ex for a couple of weeks probably. Just spend time with people who love and support you, go to grab some coffee, go to cinema, take a walk, do whatever makes you happy, just don't spend time surrounded by your 4 walls, it is going to be much harder to feel better when you are stuck in your room and thinking about every little conversation you guys have had. 

6. Get rid of the things that remind you of your ex

Take the pictures from the frames, from your walls, put these stuffed animals, these earrings you got on Valentine's day and letters into a box, put all of the clothes you might have left to the box as well and put it somewhere you don't see every day. You can also burn all the letters and pictures if you feel like it. Everyone deals with the pain differently, there's nothing wrong with it. Just put all of these things away, even the smallest ones that remind you of them, so you could move on without all these little bits and pieces reminding you of this part of your life you are trying to move on from.

7. Rebound relationships are probably a bad idea

It's oh so tempting to get into a rebound relationship after getting your heart broken, because it gets incredibly lonely at times, but it's not a wise thing to do while your heart is still broken into many little pieces. Rebound relationships can't really last that long, because you're getting into them for the wrong reasons and it's not really fair to the other person as well, because they might really like you, without even knowing they are just your rebound. Just wait some time until you feel like yourself again to get into a new relationship. It's really healthy to be alone for a while, to get yourself back together, to understand all the lessons from the past relationships and understand what you want.

8. Write it all out.

I say writing helps for everything, but it does help incredibly after a breakup. You can create a little ritual for yourself, light some candles, grab a glass of wine or tea, play some music and write it all out, all of the feelings you have, all the regrets you have and all the words you wish you've said to him, but never got the chance to. Cry if you need to, stop if you need to, come back after a while. Letting your feelings out on the paper can help you incredibly, just try to, you will see what I'm talking about.

9. Be kind to yourself

Most importantly, remember to be kind to yourself. You've had a big, traumatic experience in your life and you have to remember to love yourself. Treat yourself nicely, pamper yourself, go shopping if you need to, watch, read and listen to anything you want, go out, stay in, exercise, have little dance parties, sing at the top of your lungs. 

Mending your hear will take some time, for some it will be a very quick process, for some way longer and harder experience. But it's temporary, time will mend all your wounds and you probably would like to punch everyone who says that time is healing in the face, but these people are saying the truth. Time will pass, you will forget how many days you haven't seen him or for how many days, weeks and finally months you've been single and you will learn to enjoy your life all over again. Break ups can make you learn some great things about yourself, show you what you want in your new relationship and what you don't want and they also show you just how strong you are. Because you are. You have learned some important lessons in the relationship and you will learn some pretty important ones once you're out of it. Believe me, it might turn out to be a very good thing for you, if you only let yourself embrace the change. 

Sun will start to shine, lovely, and don't forget to smile and you will be fine! ♥ 

MY ENDLESS LIST OF GRATITUDE #25

This has been quite a challenging week to me, if I'm honest. My anxiety has been really high, my body started aching, I've had the strangest dreams looking like thriller movies and I was just feeling very blue and I still haven't managed to find a reason why this is happening and it's incredibly frustrating. Maybe it's the full moon, maybe getting back to Uni after the holidays or maybe just thoughts getting a little bit too loud inside my head. Anyway, this week it was a little more important to find these little things that could help cheer me up a bit.

I've had a dance class, met up with a friend to eat donuts and watch one of my all time favorite movies Amelie, played with my cat and felt so at peace when she was purring on my lap (it's a shame she doesn't stay still in the same position), finally went to cinema to see The Theory Of Everything, tried to stay away from my laptop and phone a little bit more, did some yoga and it helped me feel a little bit better.
Hope everyone is having a great week! What are your plans for the weekend?

♥ I hanged my little DIY tassel garland  that I made last Spring up and I really like how it looks on my wall now.

♥ So this happened when my bestie came to my home to watch a movie. It seems like whenever we meet, we eat donuts. But it's impossible to stop when they are THAT good!

♥ This is one incredibly exciting thing I've got today. Last December I won a little giveaway that lovely Lauren had on her blog and today I picked that parcel from the post and I wasn't really expecting to find so many great little bits inside. This has definitely brightened my day up loads!

♥ This is the book I won on that giveaway and I know that Christmas is not on everyone's mind and that's a good thing, because Spring is coming after all, but I'm very excited I got this, because it has some amazing recipes for Christmas and I will definitely be using it once December comes.

BEING HAPPY BEING YOU

We've all heard this – be you, always be yourself but I wonder how many of us are actually real authentic selves in our everyday lives. I have to admit that until last year I was rarely really 100 % myself, as sad as that would sound. I think sometimes we even do this unconsciously, even without realizing we are actually putting on a mask on ourselves just be fit in somewhere, to be accepted. And I don‘t really mean being completely different person around others, so different that your at home self would not recognize you, no, it can be just as simple as not expressing yourself fully because others might not approve your opinion, dressing differently so you wouldn't be judged, not doing something you want just because you might be not understood. It's not easy to escape situations like these, they seem to be everywhere we go -  at school, at work or with relatives, friends, significant others.

 But I have to tell you a little secret – miracles can happen once you decide to become your true authentic self you've always were meant to be. You won't even know until you decide to try, so you should definitely try to become to be yourself the sooner the better. I think you should try being more and more yourself starting tomorrow.

There were times in my life when I was trying to be someone I wasn't around the people I was studying with in university or when I was still in high school. Me being in that Uni was already not me, me talking to them and trying to fit in desperately was even more not me.
I was not feeling all right when I was there but once I got out of the situation, only then I've realized what it means being yourself and how amazing it actually feels. I was pretty sure I was the real me the whole time, just holding myself a little bit, but oh boy, was I wrong. After a little while I've realized that I was holding myself back a lot and once I've started to let go of this I saw just how really not myself I was. 

It‘s amazing to be able to express your opinions openly even if there is a chance (and there is always one) that people will not approve with what you're saying, to be able to say exactly want to want and what you mean, to be able to dress up the way you like and not trying to hide yourself with black clothes if you love wearing colorful ones with and bows in your hair, listening to music you like and not trying to hide it from anyone because it is apparently „not cool“ to listen to music like this, dancing in the middle of the street if you feel like it and singing at the top of your lungs not looking around to see who might be judging you for your actions.

Being you means being responsible for what you do and possibly being judged or disliked for who you are. But I believe it‘s much better to be judged or liked by who you actually are than for who you are not. There can be thousands of people trying to fit the norm but there can be only one real you in the world, so why hide it? By being yourself you will attract the right people who will appreciate the real, authentic you, the right kind of people who will love you for you and you will love you for not hiding the real you. 

 

MANCHESTER THROUGH MY PHONE

I just love how random ideas that come up in the conversations unexpectedly can turn out to be the things that really happen. The real, great things which make you smile from ear to ear. 

Last Summer, on a very hot day at the end of the Summer me and two amazing girls who I know from the age we all were 7 years old were walking through the woods and had a conversation and Manchester, where one of the girls is studying, came up into our conversation. After that one thing led to another and we bough the tickets to go and see her in the city far away from home. 

Even though we bought the tickets a long time ago, the waiting wasn't really difficult, there were times I honestly forgot about this trip, other times I was so busy that my head was filled with completely different things than the plane I would have to board in couple of months to go to a different country.

I was in Rome just couple of months ago, but I was already pretty excited to fly on the plane. I love planes, they have always fascinated me even long before I got to be on one and every time I get to fly, I am very excited. I don't particularly love the turbulence because I am an anxious person anyway and being on a plane which is shaking quite a bit is not the thing I enjoy the most. But I can spend hours just looking through the window and imagining myself walking on these clouds which look like candyfloss. Wouldn't that be cool?

We didn't stay there for long but it was a very very nice trip. Spending time with two amazing friends was amazing and Manchester was also city that I didn't expect to be that beautiful. We visited amazing, gorgeous and ancient libraries, walked the big and small streets, ate the best burgers I have ever tried, laughed very loudly, took a crazy amount of selfies, ate a lot of not so healthy food, talked for hours, admired English men and their accents and just enjoyed as much as we could. 

My little inner architect was very very happy seeing these buildings and almost all of the pictures I have are from the buildings as you can see here. It's mostly always the case when I travel, to be perfectly honest.