Weekend Fashion Inspiration

Hi guys, I say, let's end the week with some sneak peaks into the clothing choices of random people around the world as inspiration for the next wardrobe decisions. Hope you enjoy!

 from stylecaster.com

from bloglovin.com

from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 from apartment34.com

from  lacooletchic.tumblr.com

from lisasaysgah.com

from whowhatwear.com

 from alonestarstateofsouthern.com

from atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com

PS: This is a selection of items I like which I found via Pinterest.  For more inspiration of this kind you can see my boards here

Heaven is for real

I've recently seen (again) a movie that moved me quite a lot about a little boy who had a near death experience but miraculously recovers after a while in the hospital. He then tells his parents he he's been on a journey to Heaven and talked to God. The film follows the struggles the family faces after the little guy makes his story known and of course, the people's reactions to this spectacular news.

I must admit, the fact that this movie is said to be based on a true story made me even more curious than I would normally be. The story is catchy, well narrated, has a little bit of fun and drama and most of all, it treats a subject that you don't see every time you turn on the TV. 

But the thing that really got me thinking in the end is that while we are taught from early childhood to believe in God, Heaven, miracles, etc and we spend most of our lives into the belief that there is something out there after our life on earth ends, a beautiful place where we will meet our beloved and where we will spend eternity, when someone comes and says that God really exists, that they've been to Heaven, that they've talked to Him, that everything we thought so far really exists...everybody thinks that person is crazy and should stop saying such things. Seems like quite a paradox to me. :)
On this note I leave you to see the trailer:

The Hunger Games

found on etsy.com via pintrest

Hi again guys. Long time, no see! Since our last virtual encounter I've gained a few (more) pounds, gave birth to my son, lost a few pounds and then got stuck with some extra 8 kg that are stubbornly just hanging around. 

Those who know me know I don't like to starve myself and I totally prefer doing the slow but healthier version than the "I can't sleep at night, I only dream about food" way.  Still, even with the "I want healthy stuff" mindset I still find myself more often than not drooling like crazy over eating sweets, salty things, then sweets again, then coffee... a never ending vicious circle with not so nice results.

Experts say that when we crave for certain aliments, our body actually need some particular vitamins. Understanding how this all works and providing ourselves with the healthy options instead of the not so healthy ones helps us feel better and also paves the way to a slimmer figure. So this is what I found while researching on the subject: 

When we crave for all kinds of sweets:

Our body feels stressed and needs a wide range of vitamins like chromium (found in broccoli, grapes, dried beans, chicken), carbon (found in sweet fruits), phosphorus (chicken, liver, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, veggies and cereals), sulfur (horseradish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips), tryptophane (cheese, liver, raisins, sweet potatoes, spinach).

When feeling crazy about chocolate (like all the time?): it appears magnesium has gone missing. Try to counter with peanuts, nuts and pumpkin seeds. 

Falling for the salty side? Chlorine may be at fault. Or better said, the lack of it. Goat cheese, fish, unrefined sea salt should help getting things back to normal.

If you wanna eat bread all day, it seems you might be missing nitrogen. Try see if more fish, meat, nuts and beans will do the trick and get you back on track.

When we totally need coffee or tea body needs phosphorus, iron, sulfur or salt which can be found in all veggies, sea salt, apple vinegar, green leaves, eggs, fish.

You can't stop the choosing fatty and/or oily foods? You might be needing Calcium. Cheese, broccoli and green leaves should help you keep things in control.

Can't stop thinking about the booze? Alcohol cravings may be your body's way of telling you to bring in more Protein (meat, sea food, cheese, nuts and peanuts, granola), Calcium (Mustard, broccoli, cheese, sesame, veggies), Potassium (dark olives, potatoes, green leaves), Glutamine (supplements with glutamine, fresh cabbage juice (yuck))

Tobacco cravings? Try supplementing your silicone intake (nuts, peanuts, seeds) and tyrosine (vitamin C, veggies, red colored fruits)

PS: Please note that I do not have a medical degree - the suggestions in this post have been gathered by researching the internet on this subject of great importance to me at the moment. However, the information in this article cannot replace a doctor's advice. For more detailed information about loosing weight in a healthier way 

This week's fashion pic(k)s

Hi guys,

Long time no see. I've had a lot going on lately with the new guy that entered my life and soon will take his fair share of the living space in my apartment.
In case you were wondering, that would be my soon to be born son Levi :) I'll share with you some more on this subject in one of my future posts.

Joke aside, as I've gathered some street style pictures that I very much like, I take the opportunity to share them with you. These girls might or might not be famous but they have a great sense of style.
Take a look!

found on agirlandagluegun.com

found on thenletitbe.tumblr.com

found on theyallhateus.com

found on whowhatwear.com

found on brit.com

found on lolobu.com

found on whowhatwear.com

found on theberry.com

found on uk.pintrest.com

Denim wear

As I've said before in some of my previous posts, I love street style so much because I can see practical head-to-toe outfits worn beautifully by people in their day to day life.  Some women I never saw before and probably never see again (except maybe another street style photo) make the most interesting clothes and accessories combinations.

Since it's summer and blue hues go perfectly with the hot nowadays, I let you get inspired by these fashion forward ladies below who made denim their choice for the day :

See you next time!

found on theyallhateus.com

found on i-love-fashion-and-boys.blogspoti.it

found on ladylachict.tumblr.com

found on amazon.com

found on whowhatwear.com

found on laurenconrad.com

found on  thesimplyluxuriouslife.com

found on southmoltonststyle.com

found on marieclaire.co.uk

found on bloglovin.com

Point of view

found on thedecorista.tumblr.com

A little while ago I've been to a 4-day course at my chosen birthing center Medlife where medical staff came to teach future parents the ABCs of taking care of a little human.  Personally, I didn't find the courses much enlightening or the staff very well prepared with useful information and wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for courses of this kind.
Maybe they will improve this area in the future, but for present time I also tested the courses provided by Crucea Alba which I found much more closer to my informational and emotional  needs.

One moment I could not forget, or apparently get over was when the nutrition teacher brought up one things I've heard a lot of people around me saying to pregnant women or women with very little kids (Approximate reproduction): "I am sorry to tell you this, but you need to not to do and eat this and this and this anymore (insert half hour long list). Now that you need to take care of the little one inside you don't matter anymore, he or she does. The only thing that is important now is the welfare of your newborn, etc, etc"

I perfectly agree that once a woman become pregnant she needs to take as much care as possible of herself in order to give her child the best and healthiest start in life possible. Nothing more true.

But I also know that this doesn't come easy for everybody. Personally I miss a lot my old lifestyle, foods, vices and all. Lifestyle which needed a hell of a lot of adjustments which still don't come easy to me even after 7 months of pregnancy.
Feeling this way does not mean I don't do the needed changes and requirements anyway, or that I think less lovingly about the little man growing inside.

So while I totally believe that the lady there had the best intentions at heart for the mother and baby and provided her advice without meaning any harm, I felt totally depressed after leaving the center.

I don't know about you, but personally I don't like to think of myself as a walking human incubator, or a person who lost her right to matter once she got pregnant. I also believe that nobody, woman or man deserves to be told they as a person and their needs don't matter anymore. Especially during one of the most demanding periods of one's life.

I totally agree all those things need to be done, no argument there. But I also think that the way the information is presented makes a whole of a lot of difference on whether a person will be able to cope and find motivation or will get into a depression.

So having encountered this way too many times, I'd like to see more doctors wrapping their advice and lessons in a way that targets not only having a perfectly healthy body to produce children but also a healthy mind to be able to adjust to the changes happening in the new course of life.

I'd like to hear them telling women that they are important, that what they feel, need and crave is important, that being able to find joy in new things might mean being referred to a course of therapy to help obtain those targets.

I'd also love to hear your opinions on this. Have you been in the same situation? How did you handle it? How do you think things could be different?

Thanks you all for taking the time to read my thoughts and see you again soon!

Want to make a soon to be mom a gift? Here's some inspiration

I've had a recent conversation with one of my colleagues from work regarding gifts that are given to expectant mothers. I mentioned that as far as my experience goes, most people (me included) are always inclined to buy cute things for the little ones and was nicely impressed that she wanted to give something for the mother's use and not the baby's.

Got me thinking that after getting married or a bit later, women usually start to receive gifts that are not actually for them in particular. For example, kitchen accessories/electronics to help her cook better for her family or things for the home, stuff for the baby, kids, etc?

Hmm...I think I'm gonna need to start re-thinking the way I give things myself, since I did these things too. Usually it's because it's easy and time economic to use a stereotype than try to find out what the person likes/needs or what hobbies she might have nowadays. Sometimes you find yourself there's no way in the world you have enough time in the day or means to find out.

But I also discovered the joy of giving people something practical that they needed at a certain moment and found out it feels very satisfying to me also that the present was appreciated (I guess I'll never know that  one for sure, but one can only hope).

So getting back to our future to be mothers here, I've compiled a list of maybe not so common, but helpful (I hope) and practical gifts that you could use in case of need. 

1. A pregnancy massage/massage package given by a specialized center

Pregnant women find themselves facing back pain, swollen feet and hands which brings difficulties when moving around, tiredness and a general not so nice mood. A good massage therapist to help improve on these areas is a blessing and something many future to be mothers can't afford as they need to save money for the little one.

Attention: Massage on pregnant ladies can be done only with the doctor's consent.

found on massagemag.com

2. A set of pregnancy courses for the new parents. 

Usually, if the couple is having their first child they have no clue over many of the things related to pregnancy. And although the internet is a great source of information, it is also a great source of anxiety especially for first time moms who are not sure what to believe and what not. My opinion is that the best way to get informed is to attend some classes held by specialized personnel and have them respond to all the questions that might appear.

In Romania, if the father also participates, he gets 10 extra paid days to be able to stay home and tend to the mother and child.

3. A belly support band.
For me it's one of the best things ever because it keeps the belly in place giving me a lot freedom to move, exercise, etc. I wear the belly support band in combination with under the bump maternity jeans for the best support.

found on newlook.com

4. A maternity pillow

They are useful especially at the end of the second trimester and during the third one when the bump gets bigger and a pregnant lady needs better support for sleep and relaxation.

I've got a regular U shaped one and I'm happy with it, but you can find them in several shapes. I cannot tell if it's the best option since it's the only one I've tried, but it sure gets points for comfort.

Some of them can also be used after giving birth for nursing and are available at all ranges of prices depending on the budget.

found on amazon.com

5. Ask what she would need

If you are close to the expectant mother, a good option is to ask what she needs. Many people feel uncomfortable asking what others need. The recipients feel uncomfortable asking for things.

However, a list of things to choose from is beneficial for both sides. The one making the gift saves time browsing the stores thinking what to buy and the mother gets something she actually needs and won't need to spend money on.

It might indeed not be such a surprise to give an expected gift, but you could always add a touch of  fun and unexpected with an amusing postcard or a cookie.