My winter favourites

Since winter has now actually hit London and the balmy 15 Celcius degrees from last week are only a memory, I got cold. Seriously cold! Inspired by this, I did some browsing online for things that'll not just keep you warm, but look nice too and found a few cool ones that I really liked and will definitely have to look for some to add my own, not so extensive, winter wear collection. I know I'm probably awfully late with posting anything bout winter clothes, as everyone else has most likely got themselves warm and sorted already but better late than never!

First of all. Boots. No one's going to survive the winter without boots. Flat, knee high boots are not just comfortable but look good too, and keep you warm whether you're wearing a dress or a pair of skinny jeans. The pair I've got are very similar to this, from Call It Spring (it's a sister company to Aldo) As far as I know they don't have their own branch in London anymore, but Debenhams stocks their products pretty well, especially online.



Flat ankle boots are another great option,  I prefer to have at least a tiny bit of heel in my ones, so they look a bit more feminine but still comfortable and you won't end up with tired feet .The zip detail in these

ones is pretty cool too.


And for the days you want to dress up a bit more, or for the nights out in town when there's not probably snow (as this is London after all), but some sort of slushy rain, these heeled boots are perfect. Definitely going to look out for this style myself!




Leather gloves. Colourful leather gloves even better! I had a bright pink pair before which I loved, but for this year I'm thinking deep purple or dark green, the later one has definitely been my favourite colour in clothing for the last few months.

 I have never been a massive fan of fur, definitely not real fur but not even faux fur. These faux fur shawls or collar type scarves are very nice though, and would look amazing with a long beige or black woollen coat. They'll also update the look of your winter coat, such an easy and cheap way to change it up a bit. Added to my list!

Talking about scarves, if you're not into fur at all, a knitted or even a fabric scarf is always a winner. These oversized ones are perfect for wrapping up and will keep you warm and looking good, with a thinner jacket too, especially with leather.

Last but not least...headgear. I'm not big on wearing hats, let's face it - you wear a hat for half an hour and end up with a flat, static head of hair. But the older I've gotten, the more I've started appreciating feeling warm at 7 o'clock in the morning when struggling to get out the house, so I think this year a proper bobble hat will be the one. Last year I was still relying on beanies but might try something else this   year! I think these bobbles would look super cute with wavy or curly hair (not that I'll be curling my hair for that 7 am departure...)



Which one is your favourite? Have you got any tips on looking chic during the winter? 

Coconut / Date / Nut energy balls

The internet is full of all sorts of recipes for healthy home made snacks, anything from energy bars, energy balls to different kind of shakes. I thought I'd share you my favourite one, for coconut chocolate energy balls, which is a nice little snack to take with you for the day or have a little pick me up - snack in the afternoon. It's super simple as well!

                           

You'll need a blender, the more powerful one the better (my one is not the best and it does struggle a bit with mixing it all) or a food processor. This recipe makes about 15 balls, depending on the size you'll want to make. 

What you'll need is 

100 g almonds
100g brazil nuts
 200g soft, dried dates. I'd recommend to use medjool or deglet noor varities.
1-2 tablespoons raw cacao powder(or more if you want them quite chocolatey)
150g organic honey
1 table spoon chia seeds
Dessicated coconut for rolling

Pop all the almonds and brazil nuts in the blender and blend until you have a smooth, fine mix. Add the dates, blend and add the honey and blend again. The mixture will become very sticky at this point. Add the cacao powder and chia seeds, then blend again until it's a smooth,even mixture.

Roll the mixture into small balls and roll them in the dessicated coconut to coat them. If you prefer to leave the coconut out and have them plain, you'll want to use a bit less honey to make the mixture bit firmer as it will be quite hard to roll them without the coconut flakes.

Put the balls in the fridge for a few hours to chill, or in the freezer for a bit. Store them in the fridge too! You can use other nuts too, walnuts work pretty well as well.

Enjoy!

Have you got any similar recipes to share?

Mind the gap please!

8,6 million people, one major city, over 300 spoken languages..and then there's you. All these people around you and you might still feel like the loneliest person in the world, especially if no family around you, no set social group and a whole new life to adapt to. 

I came to London when I was just 20 years old, with a plan to stay for a year and then probably return back home. I was young and didn't have any commitments, so when a chance to leave my small home town in Finland(And I mean SMALL, we're talking less than 6000 people!) came to me - I took it with no hesitation. To me, it was an easy transit though, I had my then-best friend moving to the city with me and I had visited London before, and in addition to that my spoken and written English were fluent, so in that sense I had to difficulty with settling in. Long story short, that one year has now turned into over 8 years and I'm still here! 

For some people socialising comes easy and they have no difficulty in making new friends, no matter where it is - at work, when out and about or  taking part  in some free time activity. But for others, especially the older you are, it can be surprisingly hard to find similar sort of people to have around you, let alone the sort of people you can start calling friends. 

How do you meet new like minded people then? Thinking that there's all these people around you, there surely are tons of ways to get to know them. I doubt it being only a London thing, but people here can seem fairly unapproachable and hard to make contact with. Everyone is rushing about, worrying about their own lives and their own busy schedules, so who's going to have time to commit to a new person?

The key to getting to know new people is, as simple as it sounds though, is to talk and talk and talk! Approach people, start with small talk, be open, friendly and  show interest. No one is going to come and pick you up from your doorstep, so if you want to make the end to your non existent social life and lonely nights in front of the TV, eating chocolate and stroking your cat(not in my case though, I hate cats!) you have to get out there! I found nights out in bars and clubs to be good for meeting people and socialising when I was younger, but the older you are, the thought of that is just less and less appealing. Yes you might find your BFF or even your future husband by the bar, downing that last Jaegerbomb just before closing time, but the chances are fairly slim that this particular person will stay in your life in any other role than an occasional drinking mate. 

Get a hobby. Exercise classes, art classes, book clubs, drama groups or any other groups getting together regularly  are a great way to find like minded people and it will be easier to get to know them as you will have a join interest. It doesn't matter what you are into, the people around you will surely be into the same thing, hence why they're there.

Work related friends could be considered both as a blessing and a curse. Yes, they'll help you about with any issues regarding your work, are a great moral support on a day when you just want to hang your boss and it'll be convenient to nip out for an after work drink or meal. But at the same time, do you really want a lot of your free time conversations end up being about work, or seeing the same face both in the office and on a Sunday morning brunch? You can learn so much more bout people with a bit more variety in your social circle, whether it's occupation, age, race or background - I'll guarantee it'll be much more interesting to hear about your friend's day when he or she hasn't been doing exactly the same thing as you have. 

Same comes to nationalities.. As easy and convenient it might be to have your nation's sisters and brothers filling up your agenda, isn't the whole point of moving abroad or to a larger, multicultural city that you meet new and different kind of people? I used to have loads of Finnish friends, in my early days, but slowly they have either moved back home or we have just parted our ways. For the moment, I have no friends from my country living here which suits me fine! I have visitors every now and then and I get my dosage of Finnish charm whenever I travel back home. Nothing against that though, but that is just how it is for the time being. 

With so much of our social life concentrating online and on social media, looking for friends from the Internet is a great way to get yourself  out there! There are plenty of forums and websites for socialising, where you can find like minded people and arrange to meet up. I would avoid dating sites though, if you're not intending to find anything to do with romance, so there won't be a disappointment in either way. I found my best friend from a website called Citysocializer.com which is a site for people to arrange social meetings called 'socials'. I never attended any of the socials, but rather messaged a girl who seemed to have similar interests to me and now  roughly 3 years later we are going strong(didn't even kill each other while on holiday together earlier this year!) Just remember to be honest and open and my advice is to meet the person in real life as soon as you can, if you get a good vibe from him/her, there's no point chatting just online for too long. 

It might also be easy to find other London 'newbies' - you'll all be in the same situation, trying to find your ground in this city. Get lost together in the markets, discover restaurants where neither one you has ever dined before and learn more about your new home town together. Having said that, you shouldn't be scared of old school Londoners either, they'll take you to the coolest, most authentic places and make sure you get off at the right tube stop. 

Lot of more experienced Londoners, including me, never do any of the touristy kind of activities anymore so they might even find their inner tourist and go hop on the London Eye with you. Or on one of those open roof double decker tour buses, I still have that one to experience myself.

On a low moment, cuddling that cat of yours alone on the couch, it might feel just easier to give up, pack your bags and go back home to your familiar life and old friends but you've got to give yourself time. True friendships take time to build themselves up and to build that trust and connection. It just takes a bit of effort, open mind and maybe a good bottle of Sauvingon Blanc just to take the edge off and you're on your way to the time of your life in this beautiful metropol. 

Just keep in mind - you don't talk or smile to strangers on the Underground, they'll just think you're a nutcase ;)

How did you meet your best friend? What's your favourite spot for a good girly get together? 

Worry verb. - feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

I'm a worrier. I've always been a worrier. One of those people who over think about things all the time, thinking about different scenarios in their heads and letting themselves get wound up over things that don't really matter. So your partner didn't pick up his phone when you called him, what is he doing, why is he never there when you need him? Your friend had a very annoyed tone in her message, have you said something to her to  make her upset? Your boss said some snappy comment about some petty issue this morning and you're letting it bother you for the rest of the day.You go to bed at night, tossing and turning for a good hour thinking about a solution to a problem that really does not deserve to be called a problem. You think of a good sarcastic response to you partner when he finally calls you back with some pathetic excuse why he didn't call you back until now, or you think of a comment to say to your boss the next time she has some clever remark to make. But the problem is... when a similar kind of situation arises again, you realise that your smart responses and reactions are really just not that smart and you're better off just letting it go.

Yep this was me. Until I adopted my new attitude called I-Don't-Care. Yes, I get annoyed about things at work, or with friends, or in my relationship or those loud teenage boys on the bus at 7.30 am with their foul language and bullying comments towards each other. But I'm working on it really hard not to let it get to me, there's much more important things in life to focus your energy on. Don't get me wrong, I still complain and have that occasional rant at my friends over things that drive me up the wall, but that's just normal( what else can you expect - Finnish people are quite famous for their negative attitude and complaining how everything is just wrong, and my adopted nationality Brits aren't that much better!)

Obviously if the problem is something that you can change, something that you can have a direct effect on, you shouldn't just accept it. If you are not happy about your job, search for a new one. If you're not comfortable in your looks or your weight, change it. Take a risk, if it does not work, hey ho it's not like you missed out on anything. Even that awful fringe I had cut, to comply my black bob haircut 6 years ago, which made me look like I was Japanese, grew out eventually!(Note to myself : NEVER cut a thick, straight fringe again)

All that energy you used to use for worrying can be used for something much more rewarding. Challenge yourself a little bit! You can start with small things, like do a good deed every day : open the door to the person in front of you, smile to the cashier in your local store, help the woman dragging her baby and a pram up the stairs on the Underground or help the old lady carry her shopping across the busy road(but do remember to hand the bag back to her at the end, unlike some guy who I read about who only realised at home that he had taken the poor lady's shopping with him!) Or spend a whole evening home alone without logging onto any social media at all, I guarantee it's much harder than you'd think. I fail miserably every time I try...
Eventually you can set yourself bigger challenges - set a goal amount that you want to save on your savings account, run a 10k charity run, go on that dream holiday or lose that 10 pounds that you just can't seem to able to get rid off.

Also, find a way to relax your mind with. For some it might be yoga, meditation, good music or cooking. For me it has lately been either slightly OCD habit of arranging things in my wardrobe and drawers(and throwing away 7 years worth of unnecessary clutter) or the brilliant invention of colouring books for grown ups and a pack of felt tip pens. A half an hour of colouring and I'm good to say good bye to worries of the world.

 I saw a great quote the other day which came to my mind when I was carrying an umbrella the other day, wondering whether the drizzle is worth an umbrella or should I just let my hair get slightly wet - 

"Worrying is stupid, it's like walking around with an umbrella waiting for the rain to start."

What's your way to escape from your worries?

What a girl can't live without...well me at least!

I know we all have our trusted beauty and health care products that we just would not give up using. I thought I'd share a few of the products that I've discovered lately and found them to be good.

My first new love is Castor oil. I discovered it by accident when was on Google searching for good tips to make your nails grow faster. My own nails are in a pretty bad shape after years of wearing first acrylic nails and then glue on nails, and I now decided it's time to let them breathe a bit and make them stronger.(I will still wear glue ons every now and then for a night out or a holiday, but not on a daily basis as I ended up doing before!) I rub Castor oil on them every evening and whenever I really remember, and now after a couple of weeks I've noticed my nails getting slightly stronger again. They're still short and stump but I can see myself getting there. My other weapon is Biotin tablets, which I have heard good reviews about, and hoping that taking them daily will help too.
Castor oil has other great uses too, it's meant to be good for your hair growth. I've started using it on my eyebrows and eyelashes, rubbing a small amount on them every night. The oil is very greasy though, so you can't do it just before bed time or all the oil would just rub on your pillows! I've only done this for a short while so can't really say anything about the results, but I will update you on that later! I've heard people using it on their hair too, but I find the texture of it to be way too greasy for my hair. I also put a small amount of it on some occasional spots I get on my face and it has helped for them too! There's several makes and labels of it, I use Naissance 100% natural Castor oil.
Another good tip for spots and pimples is Calamine cream. Not Calamine lotion, the one that is used for chicken pox but a cream. It's meant for minor sunburns and other minor skin conditions and I've found it to be good for my skin which often gets small spots - a thin layer of it every evening and sometimes mornings too as the it absorbs quite quickly and can be used under make up.

My second new favourite product is a new eyebrow pen from Maybelline called Brow Satin. It has a pencil on the other end, one that you screw out rather than having to sharpen it all the time, which is a great bonus. You use the pencil to fill in in any gaps and to shape your brow, you can use this quite sparingly as in the other end there's a small powder cushion, which you use to fill in the whole brow and blend the colour into a smooth result. I love the powder end of the pen, it's very easy to use and leaves a nice soft result in your brows, no need to use a eyebrow brush,as the cushion gives you colour and blending at the same time. I use the shade dark brown, which is good if you like dark brows but the natural brown might be a better choice if you prefer your brows lighter. They do it in four different shades.

My new favourite brand for dry shampoo is Aussie. I always used to use Batiste, which is a good brand and has got lots of nice fragrances in their selection but as I've always loved the smell of all the Aussie shampoos and conditioners, this is a no brainer. The smell is beautiful and the spray is light and doesn't make your hair look all powdery as some spray-on dry shampoos sometimes do. My hair felt extremely greasy the other day and I sprayed it quite liberally all over and the result was much more lighter, airier and fresher hair. This one is a must for me now, I used the Mega Instant one but I'm sure the other ones are just as good.

One of my all time favourite products is BB cream, I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with it by now. I use one from Garnier, the BB cream + Blur one. On a good skin day when only a small amount of coverage is needed, it's the only product I use. It evens out my skin tone nicely and is very light and airy. It's super affordable too, so you can leave your more expensive foundations and concealers for more special days!

What are your beauty secrets?

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm in my late 20's, a female living in London,for my 9th year now, and trying to balance my life between long work hours, long distance relationship and trying not to worry about too much about the approaching age of 30!
I'm trying to make this blog all about positive things, which sometimes seem to be quite hard to maintain, in a busy life when you feel like there's just not enough time for everything.

I'll be writing about life in London in general, about relationships and friendships and about beauty, make up and fashion (us girls love all that!) And about travelling too. Please leave comments, good and bad, and if you have any ideas regarding good topics I'd be more than happy to hear! Thank you!