Recent Posts

Traveling these days with my two-year old

Hello! I haven’t shared an update on my little guy recently so I will do so today and tell you what is going on these days. We are traveling a lot recently. We started our trip by picking my husband up from the airport and…

The Minimalists

As soon as I posted my latest article, readers asked me who The Minimalists are. Here are three great books for you to start. And believe me, this is way better than “The Life-changing magic of cleaning up by Marie Kondo. These are the books…

The Book Review “Blogging” by Robin Houghton and tips on how to start your blog

Hello!

Today I would like to share three great books that helped me a lot when I started blogging. These books are for everybody who does not have a clue what blogging is all about and is in need of some basic information. Along with great websites and ideas, links and helpful tips, these books will be a good investment. There is just so much to know and learn before you start your blog. Writing good posts is one thing; but the goal is, you also want to attract readers to your blog so you have to work on the website itself to make it look presentable. You can do so with widgets, plug-ins and such great tools that you will find out about in these books.

Are you thinking about starting your own blog? Here is what I learned so far.

First, ask yourself what you would like to share or really care about. The key is to write on a regular basis – let’s say Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Or everyday, like I do. I just love writing and researching so much! Many start a blog and then don’t post anything anymore. Of course nobody wants to follow your blog if you don’t keep it fresh with new information. If you have followed my blog for a while you know that I love to write about my personal experiences, how-to-do stuff, my take-on things, recipes and a lot more. Just think what blog you would love to follow or read on a daily basis. Me, I wouldn’t want to read only about food, fashion or books.  I want a variety of things. I love to help people or make things easier and better. This is why I love to share articles on my beauty products. Keep  in mind that you want a clear line of some sort throughout your blog. Stick to the categories you want to write about.

I think it is also important to mention the latest trends and news on the topics you like to share. New recipes, new creations, new books etc. This is how you can increase the readership. I try to add jokes and funny stories now and then and of course I want to inspire others to follow their dream and do what they love. Don’t just dream about starting a blog or writing a book. Do it. Life is too short! You can write about a difficult time in your life, illness, experience – there is simply so much. At the same time, be careful not to share too much about your family, work etc. Simply know the limits to not make anybody uncomfortable. Read and subscribe to other blogs to see what they are writing about. See, what is interesting, what is out there and get ideas. Of course, don’t copy and paste but try to find out what people would love to read. And then be better than the rest. 🙂

Are you ready to start your blog? Think about a great name for it first. Decide wisely because once you started your blog you don’t want to change everything again. What would fit well with the topics you would like to share and write about? Now think about if you want to create your own website or if you want to host your blog. WordPress and Blogger are the most popular website creation sites. I like WordPress (WP Engine) because you have a 24/7 help service included if you host with them. Pretty neat if you are not a computer nerd. I registered at WordPress.org, which is self-hosted. WordPress.com is free. The free version restricts you from having an income. I have heard from my friends on Blogger, that the website is very easy to set up and to maintain. You can purchase your domain for $12 or so and you get a domain name like yourname.blogspot.com. There is also Tumblr.com and Webs.com as website builders but I don’t know anything about them really. I looked for the two main ones and WordPress sounded more appealing to me because it is just so reliable. After my website was set up I created the “About” page to introduce myself. Just include some personal information why you want to write a blog or what you want to share. If you have any questions, send me an email under Contact! I will be happy and glad to help you and share with you what I have already learned in the blogging business.

I have followed “The Minimalists” for a long time now and love to read their blog. This great video gives you insight on how to start your WordPress blog. Enjoy! And happy blogging!

Thank you for reading my blog.

You still cannot sleep…

Listen to this and relax: Thank you for reading my blog. 

How to: Sleep better and feel rested

Hello! Recently I have slept very well. Have you ever realized how awesome your day is when you have a good night’s rest? Everything seems okay. Sleeping is very important! My son usually sleeps 12-13 hours straight at night! Amazing no? Of course he is…

Five Things

Hello!

And Happy Friday! The weekend is around the corner. Some great updates from me and my family will follow soon. I just want to say that I have the best time with ever and enjoy every single day. This is the most important thing for me these days. To know that my husband is with us and we are healthy and able to be together. I always write about him and it seems we have no arguments ever. Of course we do. Maybe it is because we don’t see each other that much due to his mission assignment in Africa but I must say that we really don’t argue that much. It is just easy smooth sailing and I love it. The only one who freaks out once in a while in a perfect situation is me. No clue why. Maybe because there is ONE thing I want and I can have it and I forget how awesome everything else is? Then I turn into a bitch. Thankfully, this really only happens once in a while. Like once a month hahahah…. poor husband because it is seriously never his fault!  My Five Things – read on if you would like:

Thinking about: My family and balance. Today, my husband took our son to the beach and spent at least two hours with him building sandcastles while I worked on my blog. This was awesome. I loved it and enjoyed every minute. I sat in a café, the friendly waitress was asked for automatic coffee refill send to my table and I typed along. I thought how fun it is to really do my thing and write but I know how much I love to spend time with my son and husband. The key is to find a balance and make it all work. I love to spend time with them and have the freedom to work on my blog and create new things and write. It was awesome after two hours of writing to see both of them again. I was so happy and it felt good. I know that I will always write but I know now that I will do it in a way where I feel good and it is all balanced.

I am also thinking about this and that it is so true. I clearly see my husband here 100%: 

and that, not so much my husband but I see it everywhere:

Just a little reminder! 🙂

Eating: Do you know what Ceviche is? Here is the link. I love this food. Let’s say I have eaten a lot of it lately and will share some more insight soon. I don’t like meat too much but I do love seafood (which is meat in a way too, but c’mon, you gotta live, right!) I just cannot say no. Especially not when it is raw – or sometimes raw 😉

Reading: I just finished Whoopi Goldberg’s book “If someone says ‘You complete me,’ RUN!” which was a great read. Check out my slightly different Book Review here.  I started  “The Heart goes Last” by Margaret Atwood recently but I have not finished it yet. I review will follow soon.

Watching: The Human Stain. Another one of my favorite movies. Watch it if you get a chance!  Otherwise, check out all these movies  on my list that I would love to see.

Enjoying:  This season. Fall, winter and Christmas. Well, for me, Christmas means to be with my family and nothing else. To be home, to eat good food and have the people you love the most around you and preferably no fights or arguments.

In my family we don’t give gifts to each other. My son gets one gift but that is it. I just don’t believe in all this insanity of buying something for everyone and the stress that is involved. In the end most of what you give will be returned anyway or not worn, or put somewhere to collect dust. I have the same feeling about any “holiday” let’s say. Valentine’s Day? C’mon. Seriously? You have to make a big thing out of this one day to show you love your significant other? I could not care less. Love me the rest of the year and I am fine. All these holiday are the same. You feel obligated to buy something for someone. It stresses people out and I just don’t like all that. I mean, of course, when you have kids, it is nice to have something small for them. Like one gift but to get something for EVERYONE in your family? C’mon…. get real. And then the hassle to return everything. If you want to give something, give money or a voucher so the person can purchase whatever they need and want. And do not stress any further. Simple. Really think about it. From my minimalist perspective, it is all just a waste of time and money. Rather spent time with your family and not going shopping for stuff that nobody needs. Really think about it.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

A different Book Review: “If someone says ‘You complete me’, Run!” by Whoopi Goldberg

“A romantic relationship is fun and can add a lot to your life, but think of it as the whipped cream on top of the sundae and not the whole sundae. And that’s all folks!”  I listened to Howard Stern on Sirius Radio while driving…

How to: Zucchini Noodles, Pesto and Tomatoes

Hi and Happy Hump-Day! I love pasta. Always have and always will. I even make my own! But sometimes I want to skip the carbs and also the sometimes, I have to admit,  stuffed and bloated feeling after eating pasta. This recipe I would love…

My take on: “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder

“Let’s really look at one another!…It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. I didn’t realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed… Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover’s Corners….Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking….and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every,every minute? (Emily)”  – Thornton Wilder, Our Town

Hello!

I have written that I am in love with plays, broadway shows, musicals you name it because I love to watch humans act on stage. It is just so much more special for me than watching a movie. A couple of years ago I was fortunate to see “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder in this little tiny off-off broadway theater and it was hands down one of the best plays I have ever seen. Hello Waterworks throughout the play and definitely at the end all three times that I have seen it. It had such a deep impact on me that I of course purchased the book and re-read it once in a while just to feel happy. I have to say that I don’t usually re-read books? Do you? I have a couple of books that I love dearly and maybe read twice but that is it. “Our Town” is different. I just take it out of my bookshelf and browse through it occasionally. Today, I will describe what this magical play is all about and of course the creator behind it – Thornton Wilder. Read on.

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) was an American novelist and playwright. For “Our Town” he received the Pulitzer Prize – well deserved I think! He has won I believe three Pulitzer Prizes total. You can read more about him and his life here. I want to focus this article more on the play itself.

“Our Town” was first published and produced in 1938 and is a drama of life in a tiny village called Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire. My first impression was that everything was kept very simple. There was just no scenery. The book and the play are narrated by the ‘Stage Manager’ and he puts chairs and tables on the stage while you simply see an empty stage in a dim light. Instantly I thought this is awesome. Thornton focuses on so much more but scenery. The stage manager now explains where everything in this town is located. It is up to your imagination to “see” it or understand that a simple bench is the “Webb house”. I observed where the stage manager put all the chairs and benches and recognized this town. I saw how these people lived and I saw the houses. It was just so strange. The play’s focus is on life, love and death and that each life is special because everybody is unique and has their own little story.

I believe what Wilder tried to do was to make people appreciate the simple, small things in life again. Emily Webb and George Gibbs are the two main characters who guide you through the play. You learn about their childhood, marriage, their families and death. You see and understand through the play how fast time passes. You learn that it is very important to see the little and simple details in your life and to live in the moment. This is all that really matters anyway.  Looking closely, these simple details could mean a lot more than you think. You will get to know Thornton’s language in the dialogues  throughout the play which I thought was very beautiful.

Overall I can say that this book is amazing. Maybe try not to focus too much on the future and definitely not on the past. The past is gone and over and you will never get it back. I reflected on my life after reading the book and seeing the play and realized that while you are on this planet you might as well dance and enjoy a happy life! To live is just this wonderful thing!

Try and find out if this play is showing anywhere and go see it. It is so worth it! There is also a 1940s movie version of Our Town  that I watched and found that it was well done.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

Byward Market Ottawa

Hello and Happy Monday! Today my son and I explored all day long again! We dropped my husband off and drove to Byward Market in Ottawa. I read a lot about the history of this great market which was established in 1826 and is one…


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