November 27, 2016

Current Favorites

Today I want to share some of my current favorites with you. Things I recently discovered, always loved or just want to tell you something about. Let's start:

  • "The Lying Game" series by Sara Shepard
    These novels are about a girl called Emma whose twin sister Sutton has been murdered. They have not know about each other, until Emma finds out that she has a sister and tries to get in touch with her. However, her sister is not alive anymore and her murderer wants Emma to be the new Sutton Mercer. Tied to her, Emma has to take her role and pretend to be her twin. Will she find out who has taken her sister away from her?
  • "Who I Wanna Be" by Suite 16
    I absolutely love this song, listening to it always makes me happy :) (I already listed it in my fall-themed music suggestions here.
  • Apple Cinnamon Snack
    Cut an apple into tiny pieces and put them in a bowl. Add cinnamon and stir it until the spice is wrapped arount every piece. Enjoy! <3
  • Large Scarves
    I definitely am a scarve person. I wear them almost every day - and this fall I got myself a huge one, just like a blanket you carry around with you. Absolutely cozy and every outfit looks even better with it.
What are your current favorites?

xoxo

October 14, 2016

Music Suggestions #2 - Pure Happiness

There will always be those days when you are not in a good mood, when everything annoys you and even this annoys you more. Therefore, here are some songs that brighten your mood instantly and make you happy.

  • Can't Stop This Feeling  by Justin Timberlake 
  • Roar by Katy Perry
  • Shake It Off by Taylor Swift (especially Chester See's Cover Version
  • "Lemon Tree" by Fools Garden
  • "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham
  • "Breakfast At Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something 
  • "Who I Wanna Be" by Suite 16 - my absolute favorite at the moment!
  • "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons 
  • "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams 
  • "Somebody" by Bryan Adams 
  • "Some Nights" by Fun.
  • "1973" by James Blunt 
  • "Heart To Heart" by James Blunt 
  • "These Days" by Take That 
  • "The Flood" by Take That
  • "Millennium" by Robbie Williams 
  • "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson 
  • "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson 

October 10, 2016

Motivational Monday

There will always be people who tell you that you cannot do it, that you are not good enough, not as talented as others or simply doing it wrong. Do not listen to them, you are great the way you are! Sure, some people may give you advice and if you have the impression that they support you in a nice way and give you constructive feedback, listen to their point and talk to them. However, if you realize that they want to see you fail, that they do not support you at all and only drag you down - distance yourself from them. You do not need this kind of negativity in your life. Removing those people from your life will make room for those who truly belive in you, encourage you and get through everything together with you,  no matter how hard it will be. Hard times always reveal true friends. Always believe in yourself and in your dreams. Just give it a try. 

instagram.com/motivationfromheart


Everybody has a time when they do not feel good, when they do not know how to move on. With the right people in your life it will all work out in the end. Losing someone who made you feel so special and happy always hurts, but it can also lead you to something better. If they only make you feel bad about yourself or not appreciated enough - the right people will come into your life and stay!

xoxo

October 7, 2016

Oatmeal in Minutes

Sometimes, when you wake up in the morning, you simply want to make yourself breakfast very quickly without having to wait an eternity until you finally get something inside your stomach. As the days get colder and colder, having something warm for breakfast looks even nicer. Making oatmeal the traditional way means cooking for about 10 minutes and having to be there due to stirring it. However, I came up with an idea to make yourself a huge bowl of oatmeal within minutes. 



#1
Put some oats inside a bowl. There comes 1 cup of water on 1/2 cup of oats. But you can easily just boil more water in order to make the consistency the way you like it best, the measures are only a guideline.

#2
After the water is as hot as you want it to be, simply put it over the oats and stir. It is important to have them completely covered with water due to the fact that they will increase in size. 

#3
Leave it for a while during the time you spend getting your toppings ready. Personally, I like my oatmeal best with berries  (especially strawberries and raspberries) or with apples. To sweeten it you can use honey, maple syrup or sugar and cinnamon. A smashed banana stirred under it also tastes very nice and sweet.



#4
Put everything together and enjoy your breakfast which gives you a lot of energy for the day.

Have a great day and weekend!

xoxo

Picture Sources: https://celiac.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/oats.jpg; 

October 2, 2016

Music Suggestions

Due to the fact that the cold weather is coming and fall is just about to begin, I want to share some music with you which fits perfectly to this time of the year. They create a special atmosphere, some a cozy one, others a dark and mystical one.

  • "Holding On And Letting Go" by Ross Copperman
  • "A Drop In The Ocean" by Ron Pope
  • "Back For Good" by Take That
  • "She's The One" by Robbie Williams
  • "Who Says" by John Mayer
  • "Another Love" by Tom Odell
  • "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran
  • "Read All About It" by Emeli Sandé 
  • "Catch & Release" by Matt Simons 
  • "The Mountain" by Ross Copperman
  • "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran 
  • "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran
  • "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith
  • "Who I Wanna Be" (Rykkinnfella Remix) by Suite 16
  • "Calm After The Storm" by The Common Linnets
  • Who Am I To Stand In Your Way by Chester See
Have a nice day!

September 24, 2016

Current Favorites (Fall 2016)

Hello my dears, how are you?

Fall is just around the corner. Therefore, I have decided to show you some of my favorites regarding this season. The season of coziness. Speding a whole day cuddled up, reading books or watching series or a movie.

#1 Favorite Tea
The season of fall = the season of tea. My favorite is roiboos, especially with vanilla. In addition, I also enjoy a cup of apple tea (recommendations are Turkish apple, it contains fig, as well as apple tea with a hint of vanilla). Some companies also sell specials regarding winter, some of those flavors are cinnamon, marzipan, orange or almond biscuit (Spekulatius in German). Do not be afraid to try something new, go for whatever suits you best!

#2 Series
One of my absolute all time favorites is "The Vampire Diaries". It is not only a great one, no, it also fits perfectly to the darker side of fall, the mystic side as it is in Halloween. Another one I stumbled across recently is "Desperate Housewives" -  such a great mixture of drama and comedy. It is very catching and interesting and, just as TVD, a continuing series, so all the episodes create one whole story.

#3 Calendar
As one year is coming to an end. another one is just about to begin. I do not know what about you, but, personally, I like to write down all of my dates on paper. Some are saved electronically as well on my tablet or cellphone, but I am a huge fan of writing it down and having it in a real book. Later, when you take an old calendar in your hands and get through it, all the memories come back; and it is way more personal than only some text passages on your electronic device.
Until this time, I always had a calendar in which every day has its own page. It is very useful if you have lots of things to do or if you like to write down quotes or other inspiring quotes. However, on the other hand, these ones are actually very heavy. Therefore, I have decided to try something new: After thinking about it for a while and having a look at several options, I chose a Moleskine in the "Weekly Notebook Diary" edition. If you take a look inside, you will see this structure: On the left side, there are all the days of the week listed below each other; whereas on the right side there is space for all of your notes or to do lists or whatever you like to keep there. As far as I am already using it, I am very content. Whenever I want to write something down that I need more space for, for example quotes or inspiring texts, I use a separate notebook and this works very well for me.



#4 Books
I have always loved literature and reading. From my point of view, there is nothing better than cuddling up reading your favorite novel when it is cold and grey outside. Here are some recommendations: For entertainment, I enjoy reading Jojo Moyes' novels. Some I like a lot are "The Girl You Left Behind", "The Ship of Brides" as well as "Me Before You". (Recensions on two of them can be found here and here ).
What I also enjoy is reading books about philosophy. It is such an interesting and inspiring topic! Besides, I also like Shakespeare. The language is absolutely beautiful. In some app stores, you can download some of his play for free (e.g. "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet" or "Othello"). So just give it a try, it will be worth it!

What are your current favorites? 

April 27, 2016

Jojo Moyes: The Ship of Brides

Recension: "The Ship of Brides" by Jojo Moyes


Cover

Title: The Ship of Brides
Author: Moyes, Jojo
Publication: 2008
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks

"The only people who still have all the answers are those who have never been faced with the questions.” 






Cover Text:
"Australia, 1946. 650 brides are departing for England to meet the men they married in wartime. But instead of the luxury liner they were expecting, they find themselves aboard an aircraft carrier, alongside a thousand men.

On the sun-baked decks, old loves and past promises become distant memories, and tensions are stretched to the limit as brides and husbands change their minds. And for Frances Mackenzie, one bride in particular, it soon becomes clear that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination."

The novel tells the journey of four Australian women crossing the ocean in order to get to their American husbands. Each one a different character, they face problems, but also learn to stick together and to get along with difficult situations. They have to adjust themselves with the uncomfortable ship, with living together at very tiny space and much more. 
Frances wants nothing more than to escape her past. However, one day she cannot hide it anymore, the secret she carried with her thorughout the whole journey. Will it destroy everything she fought for? Margaret cannot wait to be together with her husband, but also misses her family back home. Having a deep heart, she always tries to solve the occuring conflicts and takes care of everybody. Avice, coming from a rich family, struggles to adjust herself to the new circumstances on board. Having her own prospect on how things should be, she often gets into conflicts with the other brides, especially with Jean. Jean, the youngest of the four brides the story is focused on, is kind of simple-hearted and, therefore, does not seem to be as sophisticated as Avice, for example, which leads to a stressed relationship between the two young woman.

The novel has autobiographical traits due to the fact that the author's grandma was one of the original brides who went on the long journey hoping for a better life. Her grandmother's journey is the basis for the fictional story. Moyes has written a wonderful book full of emotions that makes you feel like you are on board with the brides. Each chapter focusing on a different character perspective makes it very lively, touching and you definitley get into a relation with the characters and understand their hopes and fears. You feel with the brides and while reading you get the impression of the limitedness and the impact it has on the woman who have no minute for being on their own. A great story with realistic characters, interesting and stunning developments that makes you feel like you travelled back in time to the 1940s. I really enjoyed reading it and I am looking forward to reading the next books written by Jojo Moyes.

What is your favorite novel by Jojo Moyes?

A blogpost on Moyes' novel "Me Before You" can be found on my blog as well.


♥ xoxo



sources: http://www.jojomoyes.com/books/the-ship-of-brides

April 25, 2016

The Only People You Need in Life are the Ones that Need You in Theirs

Sometimes, you have to realize that not everyone loves the same way you do. Not everyone shares the same values nor has the same standards on how a relationship should work. Of course it hurts when you find out that you do not mean as much to someone as you thought you did. It is totally fine to cry, to spend afternoons lying in bed listening to sad music and eating ice cream; everyone gets to a point where they cannot do it anymore. However, after a certain amount of time, you have to get up and live again. It might be hard, because all you want to do is to be alone and not see anyone. Fight against the urge to go back home. Go outside, spend time with good friends who encourage you, believe in you, make you happy. You deserve to live your life the way you want it to be. Therefore, focus on the people who contribute to your happiness, moments that make you smile, hobbies that relax you etc. There is so much more outside our cages; the world is such a huge place - you will find the right one when the time has come!

Meanwhile, live your life, smile, give each day the chance to be the best one you have ever experienced. Be grateful for the lessons - you were hurt due to realizing that some people do not care as much as you do. However, it is much better to see it now than living a scheme. You were given the chance to find someone better, someone who values you, supports you, sees you as the wonderful person you are. Say "thanks life for showing me what I do not want" and move on. It is hard, it is a long process and there will be moments of doubt. Never give up, do not look back - only to see how far you have come and be proud of yourself.



Have a great week! 


♥ xoxo




January 13, 2016

Happy New Year! & Welcome back

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2016. 12 months. 366 days. 


New chances and opportunities. It is never too late to set yourself goals and to make your dreams come true. Everyday is a new chance for you to make it right. You have not spoken to a good friend of yours in weeks? - Go and contact him. You have always wanted to learn a specific language? - Get up and start. You want to spend more time outside? - Go for a walk. 
Be happy. Live and enjoy every day. Be thankful for all the little things that make your life better. A cup of tea. Waking up to the sound of chirping birds. Reading a wonderful novel. Listening and dancing to your favorite music. A great and deep conversation with a friend. Laughing until it is hard to breathe. 



One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day! 


(for more positive and motivational quotes visit my instagram profile @motivationfromheart)

Have a wonderful day!

♥ xoxo