Once upon a weekend

Today was one great day. Why wouldn't it be? I am in my 20s (closer to the magical 30), I am happy, in love, full of life.. Just as it should be at this age. 

As I was walking around the streets of Bad Homburg (a little town in mid Germany), I noticed a nice couple sitting together enjoy a nicely scented cup of tea. You would probably ask me what is wrong with that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, nothing is wrong with that. What caught my eyes was not the tea per se. It was the couple. The man and the woman were at least 60 years old each. And so full of life, so young looking, so in love, I almost got goosebumps. 

While young we forget that youth is temporal, we put so much effort into looking good (and that's totally fine! I mean, I do that too.. Life wouldn't be colorful enough without a bit of extra make up ;) ), we choose our hairdo, clothes, make up very carefully and try so hard to fit in a society which will change daily anyway. 

Sometimes we are so absorbed with the cover of our book that we forget to fill in the pages. Our inner beauty will never fade, and we have to take care of it just as much as we take care of our looks.  

And as I look at the eyes of this old lady, I see life, I feel I see the pages she has written in the past 50 years .. I see her husband and the way he looks at her. He sees her inner beauty, and not the face weary of age. 

Please don't get me wrong, I will not stop buying anti aging creams and oils for my face just for the sake of inner beauty, but I think I will give it a deeper thought next time I look at myself in the mirror. 

Ps: in the picture you can see the bench were the couple sat having their tea. I think it is such a romantic atmosphere don't you think? Such a Dolce Vita flair! 

Lifestyle tip: Ayurveda, the new old way of life

Today I’ve had a very long day, almost no time for myself, I came home and I felt the need to throw myself on the couch and free my mind.

Well, this whole „free my mind” didn’t quite work, my mind did not want to turn off, first I thought about what to do this weekend (the weather will apparently be so great that staying at home is not an option!), then the weather lead to thoughts of summer, thoughts of summer lead to bikini shopping, and bikini shopping lead to.... my nutritional habits (in other words, diet, diet diet...).

I see people around me trying out all sort of diets, and having different habits. I know vegeratians, vegans, gluten free dieters, paleo lovers (that is def. not for me, I’m not in love with meat enough to go paleo, but yes I did try...).I came to the personal conclusion that there is no perfect diet, as each diet works differently on different people. But I do believe lifeastyle and personal strenght are what make a difference.

I think everything in the Universe is connected, and that we have both negative and positive energy sorrounding us, I eat meat at times but I avoid it if I can as I don’t know under which circumstances the dead soul I am eating was killed. Yes, gross thought. I believe we are made of 5 main  elements; earth, space, air, water, fire which are linked together, and the way  we succeed in balancing them will be reflected on our mind, body and soul– my line of though follows the „AYURVEDA” concept.

Now, you might laugh, but this is really what I think, no joke. Did you ever sit with someone in the same room and suddently felt such a negative vibration, that you had to leave? And I don’t mean negative vibes such as bad smell, or bad hair day..think deeper... :D I did .. and I also know of people who sent me such a great vibe I just want to spend as much time as possible with them!

Ayurveda is an overs 5000 years old indian medicine concept (for us western people that would be more like an alternative medicine) which helps finding the right balance between mind body and soul. One of the gateways to this balance is believed to be nutrition. Not a crush diet, but a way of eating which is the best for our being, and for our emotions.

One of the main points of the Ayurveda nutrition is getting rid of as many preservatives and conserved food as possible, but not completely avoiding them if our body feels the need for their intake. It involves getting to know oneself deep inside, getting in deep contact with one’s body and mind. It is about meditation, self control, satisfaction and observation.

Before starting a diet I think we should first all know what are the things which will turn our experience into a positive one, what increases our positive energy and what keeps us healthy.

I love the whole concept as it brings me closer to me, and not just „keep healthy” or get rid of a couple of Kgs..

I decided to start an Ayurveda based 5-day detox diet, which I am hoping to repeat once a month. It involves mostly meditating a lot, drinking a lot of tea and different herbs, and having a rice and lentils based diet. I tried one day already, just to see how my body and mind would react and to see if I am ready to take a new inner journey and find myself, well all I can say is..I can’t wait!

Ps: If I dont show up for while here I probably got lost on the way L   

Online shopping yes, online shopping no ?

Finally it´s spring! Oh yes those long, cold, grey days are finally over (or at least I really hope they are, the weather forecast for the upcoming week doesn´t look so good!). And what do we do once spring is here? Yes, I mean other than the whole spring cleaning and stuff (DONE btw, the apartment looks tidy, clean and neat, with a colourful touch as well)....of course, us women think about a wardrobe update!

Today is Sunday, and like on every Sunday, today as well all stores in Germany are closed. Yes you heard well, in Germany you don´t have a chance to have a shopping date accompanied with a great coffee break with your girlfriends on a Sunday. 

Yes yes I know, it pretty much sucks!(Although this leaves you a day to really do a whole lot of other interesting things!), but I mean, regardless of whether shops are open or closed, on such a rainy day like today I would be too lazy to go down anyway! 

So that´s why I take the easy way, Online Shopping! 

But is online shopping really a good idea? Is it safe? Does it make sense? 

I think it does, if you just take care of some very important points. 

WHERE TO BUY

First of all make sure the site you are ordering from is reliable. Check out the rating and make sure you are ordering your next IT item from a serious seller.

Try to buy from an online shop which accept returns, all serious sellers should anyway, if not keep away from it (unless you are buying from a second hand online store, there you should just accept the risk I guess, given that the prices are usually very low). 

Secondly try to buy from an online shop which accepts post pay (for instance ZALANDO - http://www.zalando.com/ - ), that way you first get your item, and then you pay for it, and in case it doesn´t fit you can always send it back without bearing any cost (that´s true for ZALANDO at least). 

If a post-pay is not possible, then only prepay using PAYPAL! This way you don´t make your banking information and details public. I always try to avoid sites which don´t accept Paypal, I think you should too.. You never kow..

WHAT TO BUY

I prefer buying brands which i use already, and for which I know exactly the size i need ( I can blindly order ZARA and TOPSHOP online, I know exactly their fit, and I trust their super onlinr professionality! And of course, they always have the latest fashion for über affordable prices! <3 What do you think? Should I go for an all Zara spring outfit for the first photoshoot of this blogß)

I also like buying shoes and bags online, especially if I know the model and style already. Take care with sport shoes though, for instance Gym shoes such as the ones from NIKE have to be a bit bigger than your foot. While doing sports feet tend to be slightly swollen. 

Also I try to avoid buying pants online, it is very hard to find the right cut and fit for me, I prefer trying those on first. But if you know what you need then go for it!

Cosmetics, Perfumes and Make up are something you can safely buy online as well (for example onwww.douglas.de) - I find buying my all time favourite cosmetics online very comfortable!

Ps: in my picture you can see I have been marking the pages on various magazines which have outfits I like. This way I can organize a more targeted online shopping time and make sure I buy what I actually wanted to buy initially and not get lost in all the great marketing strategies made to grab my attention, and my money of course ! 

And you? Do you have any advice in regards to online shopping for me? I still have pleanty to learn!  ;) xx

Top 3 Main-hattan

Today I decided to dedicate a post to the city I have been calling home for over two years now, Frankfurt am Main. The Manhattan of Europe.

Frankfurt is the only city in the old Continent which blends a modern skyline to a beautiful historical European architecture. Definitely worth a visit - although Frankfurt has been partly destroyed by world war two, the city is still able to offer you a breathtaking blend of modern design and history traces at the same time. Ok well, most of the old buildings have been restructured (such as the Old Opera House, which has been reopened in the early 80s after being bombed down in WWII) and only reflect their pre war imagine, but I still believe it is worth taking a look, the maintenance and restructuring that has been done is worth lots of respect! 

Well I am not sure you can really compare Frankfurt to cities such as New York or Hong Kong (I mean, it has less than 1/10 of New York's population!) but I can damn surely say no other city in Europe has such great blends! Plus trust me, regardless of the smaller size.. You still get the "New York like"feeling that pedestrian traffic could be very dangerous! I don't want to blabla too much but seriously.. Walking in down town Frankfurt at rush hour is quite a challenge. Especially if you have an extra 13 cms on your feet (apropos... I had to buy a new pair of pumps today, heavy usage due to pedestrian traffic is always a good excuse!) !! 

Anyway, are you looking forward to visiting the heart (almost literally!) of the European Union? Here are some insider tips you should pay a visit too (other than the whole touristic "must see" stuff): 

- Biancalani (bar, restaurant and lounge): a Michelin recommended must try of the city, where you can blend with guests looking casually at their best, friendly waiters and an amazing atmosphere!

http://www.biancalani.de

- 22nd Lounge and Bar : the perfect after work, sophisticated chill out place in Mainhattan! At the 22nd floor of one of Frankfurt's skyscrapers (yes I know, the name is not very creative..), this lounge offers you great cocktails with a great view!

http://www.worldsbestbars.com/germany/frankfurt/22nd-lounge-and-bar

- Palmengarten: a great botanical garden in the European metropole. A green oasis and amazing opportunity to escape the city stress within the city itself! This beautiful garden is home to a big variety of tropical trees, flowers and green! 

http://www.palmengarten.de/#/de_DE/index/index

Well, what should I say more? See you soon in Frankfurt! 🌸

Ps: stay tuned, as the weather keeps getting better here in Europe I will keep you updated in regards to the coolest open air events of the continent! 

Besos xx 

#100happydays

I have been reflecting about how today's fast moving life makes us forget about the little things, those tiny happy moments with the power to turn our mood upside down.

I mean, of course we all have our problems, our mood swings (trust me, I am a woman and have LOTS of those!), and stressful times.. But I am sure we all have that one moment each day which really puts a smile on our face!

100happydays.com challenges our willingness to realize those moments and asks us to immortalize them with a picture, and then to post the picture with the hashtag #100happydays on our favorite social media portal (I picked Instagram, you can find me under @petranassar). 

I subscribed today, I am curious to see if I can remind myself each day for 100 days of those small superficial things which turn my day upside down, inside out - and trust me, I think I will take superficial to a whole different level at times. 

So what makes you happy? Did you ever think about that? And I am not speaking about the Big stuff, think about your daily routine, think about the coffee in the morning, think about the sun.. Think about the free roads when you're running late to work and luck is really on your side.. 

Well, at least this is what I'm thinking of when I reflect about the little things which cross my way every day! I think about that sweet message from an old friend, and about my couch waiting for me at home after work! 

Wanna challenge yourself? Start the #100happydays too! 

Here is a picture of my #day1 ! 

I finally wore open flats and put away my boots for the first time this year! This means winter is coming to an end and spring is almost here! Now that makes me happy! :) 

Fancy a Petit-Noir?

Ristretto, normale, lungo, macchiato, doppio.... Regardless of how you like it, I find an Espresso (in all it's variations) a perfect closure to a great dinner, whether at a restaurant or at home! 

I was born Italy and for me making coffee (or, when I was a small kid, watching my mum doing so) for my parents was a joyful everyday activity.. That timeless aroma spreading out of a metallic two espresso Mocca will never leave my nostrils! 

Espresso is an Italian creation which has been living for over 100 years now! 

It has developed through time, it has iconic brands which gained brand loyalty from customers all around the world for different reasons. 

Worldwide a well none Coffee House is Starbucks.. But even Starbucks would not exist if it wasn't for that great 100 years old invention called Espresso! In fact Howard Schultz (chairman and CEO of Starbucks) first came up with the idea of exporting the whole coffee experience outside of the land of the dolce vita lovers  after a trip to Milan in the early 80's! (Want to know more? Here is a great read: "Pour your heart into it: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time" - authors: Howard Schulz & Dori Jones Yang, 1997) 

But let's take a look at those ppl like me, who fancy a coffee at home as well! 

As people have been shifting from the all time's favorite Mocca "manual machine" to faster, less time consuming modern coffee machine, the market started offering the largest variety of machines we have ever seen. 

I personally love all variations of coffee (except Turkish coffee.. That's just not my thing!), especially those with lots of milk and no sugar! But I have to wake up early in the morning, I don't have so much time to enjoy my coffee before work, and I can't be bothered to spend too much time washing my coffee machine. A couple of years ago I therefore started a little research to find the perfect solution for me...

That's why I chose a user friendly, chic and practical coffee machine: a Nespresso from De Longhi! 

In theory it is not the machine what makes a good coffee, but the coffee beans. Nespresso offers a combination of budget friendly, tasty and practical only very few others do! 

I mean, for me drinking coffee can be a whole experience .. And I believe Nespresso is not only an IT coffee but also a whole new level of coffee shopping !

I can only recommend it (and not because I am always hoping to pop into George Clooney - well that didn't happen so far!) - here is a link for you to locate the store closest to you:

http://www.nespresso.com/de/en/pages/store-locator

Ps: remember, when in Italy, always specify which kind of coffee you would like. A Caffè will only get you as far as drinking a single shot of black espresso ;) 

Home alone: just pros - no cons! ;)

Is today one of those neverending boring days? Are all your friends somehow busy doing other things, your man is not home (or maybe you are a single lady?), and you have absolutely nothing to do?

Yes? Well what's the problem? Don't you love having some time to dedicate to nothing in particular? I do! 

I have had a couple of busy weeks lately and I am not feeling so well today, I stayed in and relaxed. There are so many things you can do on your own, at home, on a weekday but here are my top three! 

The easiest and laziest of them all is; watch a chick flick while having a snack. Make sure the snack is not too unhealthy (for instance I can easily overdose on unhealthy if it's right in front of me and I'm home alone!) - cut yourself some fresh fruits and pair it to some tea or to something a bit more 18+ like an aperol spritz (http://www.aperol.com/int/en/aperol-spritz/aperol-spritz/aperol_spritz_video), or a nice glas of Spumante! 

I like to turn some candles on, and to put a warm cover over myself (perfect if you are feeling a bit sick, like me, but then pls go for the warm drink, no 18+ if you have a flew!). 

If you are feeling relatively fit but want to just act all lazy, fill up your bath thub, turn your bathroom into a self made spa and let a good book keep you company! I love reading, but it's hard to find the time for it, that's why such evenings are amazing opportunity to train your imagination and flip the pages of a good book! Some read from tablets, or probably most read from tablets... But I am still one of those old school people who enjoy smelling the ink on the pages of a freshly printed new book! I love marking the page I am at, and having all sorts of page markers! But regardless of your preference, reading is much better than watching tv in my opinion, especially in a bubbly bath! 

If you want something slightly more active (but trust me, still perfect for I-love-acting-all-lazy people like me!) then go ahead and pamper your skin! I just love taking long showers and giving my hair and skin a treat! I do the full program .. Including hair masks, peeling, body oil, scented body lotion .... And the list goes on! I have some nice music on (try something you would not dance on while showering .. You don't want that peel to be half done! Singing and dancing under the shower are a completely different activity, I categorize them as stress release activities!) - I would suggest some Cafe del Mar (this mix for instance is really good http://youtu.be/fFtqGD7AQEg ) it will take you to a whole different level of relax!

As for the products, I like trying different skin products and I haven't settled on a final brand just yet (I will definitely post a review as soon as I do!), but I love buying my home spa things at Ritual Cosmetics (I don't think they have anything close to exfoliants, I haven't found anything yet at least, I am therefore currently using Clinique for my face and I can recommend the Soap & Glory product line for a more budget oriented product, or Fresh - brown sugar body polish for those willing to spend a bit more)  

Do you have better suggestions on how to spend a relaxing night in on your own? Don't hesitate to leave a comment! Even in regards to the product lines !