Roadtrip Sweden

Tomorrow we're going to Sweden.
We've planned a 14 day-roadtrip through the South!

Our last vacation was also a roadtrip, but one through Portugal.
Since then, the only thing we want to do is jump in our car and start travelling, passing wonderful places we've never seen before!

I would recommend everyone to travel this way.
You choose where to go, where to stop and how long you want to stay.
Soooo much freedom!

Our planning: 
13/07: At 6 am we leave and arrive in the evening in Malmö. Camp Location: Bara Torup!

14/07: Exploring Malmö and then we go to the Viking town Foteviken. After that stop we drive to Lund.

15/07: View Lund and then on to Ystad. Afterwards we go to Karlskrona.

16/07: Karlskrona visit and then on to Kalmar. From Kalmar we drive to the B&B Bussamåla.

17/07: Växjö sightseeing and then we go to Jönköping.

18/07:. A drive to Vadstena (via Granna - we take there a ferry to watch the nearby island). We stay the night in the Linköping area.

19/07: To Norrköping and then on to Kolmården Zoo. Afterwards we go to Stockholm and search for a sleeping place.

20/07: Sightseeing Stockholm (+ archipelago - castles and Drottningholm).

21/07: Visiting Birka and then on to Sigtuna and Uppsala.

22/07: Stops in Stromsholm, Eskilstuna, Sundbyholm, Strangnas, Mariefred and Gripsholm.

23/07: Continue to Sala (go see the abandoned silver mine!) and then viewing the rest of the region by driving past the Siljan lake to go to Orsa (to do: Orsa Bear Park!).

24/07: Driving through the Vänern region to Karlstad. Then we go to Boras (little stop and search for sleeping place).

25/07: We end our travel in Gothenburg. At midnight we take the ferry with direction Frederikshavn!

26/07: From Frederikshavn we drive back to Belgium (+/- 10 hour drive without stops).

We do everything with our van and take one ferry when we go back to Belgium.
To sleep we have our tent.

In Sweden there is a 'allemansrätten'.
You can camp wherever you like, but you have to respect the nature and the domain of people that live there.

I thought it was handy to put our planning on this blog.
We've noticed that there are not that much blogs about travelling and especially 'roadtripping' in Sweden.
I'll let you guys know what is really a 'must see!' after I'm back in little Belgium!

Bye Belgium, hello Sweden!
xoxo

Healthy = happy

Today I started with a work-out experiment. I started running last week, and already saw some changes. The running gets better by every training. The first day was like hell, but now, day 4 passed and I can't wait to the next training day!

Since the winter I gained a few pounds (I'm now 61kg - before the winter I was 59kg). I'm 1m60, but have the body figure to weight a bit more than the average girl of my length and age. 59kg was okay to me, but that was for me my maximum weight. I'm feeling a bit 'puffy' now.

I eat healthy, but that doesn't seem good enough. Because of that I took the chance to start running again and to do work outs.

At this moment I'm following the 'Start to Run' schedules (http://www.start-to-run.be/). It's very easy - just follow the schedule and have attention for your pulsation. I have a heart rate monitor so that I can control my heart rate and can react when it is too high. Also, before you start, calculate your maximum heart rate. Important as well - have good shoes when you go out for a run! At this moment I'm running in Nike's, but next month I want to get shoes that are custom made. When you run often, I recommend you to do that.

I run 3 days in a week, but first I start stretching. You can find a lot of stretching exercise videos on Youtube. I try to stretch every muscle in my body. If you don't use it while running, you probably use it on a daily basis while working or running after/playing with your children. After that I go out for a run for about 30 minutes.

After the run I start 'the real' working-out. I've found a great website (http://www.fitnessblender.com/) with work-outs + video. You choose your equipment, the difficulty, etc. et voila, there you go! In the most work-outs are also stretching exercises, so even that is something you don't have to worry about. The exercises I do are focused on cardio - burning fat, mostly on the total body or for the tight/butt - abdominal muscles. I try to focus on my problem areas (belly - butt - tight), but I also try to choose something I like (pilates - kick-boxing exercises). I try to work out for like 30 minutes. The running is also around 30 minutes, so in total I'm doing an hour exercising.

At this moment I've made a work-out schedule for about 11 weeks. After that I want to evaluate my progress. I'm happy to share with you if it worked, where I see changes - etc.

I have an hour glass figure, the typical Marilyn Monroe body figure. I love it and it makes that it's okay for me to have more curves, but still I have to know where my boundaries are. At this moment I had a lot of fat on my belly and hips. My measurements:
- Waist: 70 cm
- Thigh: 60 cm
- Hips: 88 cm
I'm hoping to reduce these.

In the first place I'm not trying to lose weight! I want a healthy body and if that means that 61kg is my healthy weight, then I'm fine with that.

So, I'm hoping to have a more healthy body after 11 weeks of work-out. I'll keep you guys up to date!

Sorry Berlin, you can't charm me...

Last weekend me and my boyfriend went to Berlin.

I must say, Berlin disappointed me a bit. 

I had high expectations, because after all, this is a city with a great history.

Here some pictures: 

So, why couldn't Berlin charm me?

Berlin is so BIG!
It doesn't really has an historical center. Next to sometimes very historical buildings were ugly modern ones build. The architecture is awful if you ask me. I think the reason must lay in the economic crises after the world wars and the communism that sneaked in.

Also a lot of open places, what is really weird for a city. Like for example the Alexander Platz: a touristic plaza with a huge open area. It gives you more breathing space (what you sometimes miss in other cities), but also a feeling of insecurity.

Next to that, when you went out of the touristic part of Berlin, you see much of the communistic influence (in the eastern part of Berlin, off course). It shows a more realistic image of Berlin and you see that poverty is very much present.

Berlin should also be the vegan/veggiecity of Europe. So, me as a veggie, was super-excited as regards food. Now, our first day we really had to search for a restaurant that also had a veggie-dish. The next morning we searched online for vegan/veggie-restaurants. We had to go out of the touristic part of Berlin to find a restaurant that is specialized in non-meat. Well, that isn't really veggie-friendly if you ask me. Going to some ghetto-district to have my food, hmmm, no thanks.

What we really liked in Berlin:

The hotel! We went to Courtyard Marriott, next to the Spittelmarket. We had a beautiful room, a large choice as regards our breakfast, etc.

We went two days of the weekend to the restaurant Route 66. It's a retro 50's bistro, really worth to go check it out.

The day we liked the most was when we went to the Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag building, Unter den Linden and the DDR museum. When you go to Berlin, you really need to go there! Also the Natural History Museum we recommend to go to.

After I went to Berlin, I thought that it would be interesting for you guys to make a rating list of all the cities I've went to (mostly in Europe, one in Azia).

1. Budapest
2. Prague
3. London
4. Amsterdam
5. Valencia
6. Barcelona
7. Paris
8. Berlin
9. Bodrum

I didn't do much citytrips yet (money-issues..).

My top 3:
I felt in love with Budapest. What a wonderful city, un-be-lie-va-ble! Also not that expensive, compared to London, Barcelona, etc. Boeda, the wonderful historical side and Pest, the modern trendy part with loads of things to see and do. Also very friendly people over there. I surely must go back as soon as a can.

Prague is the city to go out and have fun! Europe's largest disco is there and I had fun in the basement of a pub. Underground parties are really awesome over there! The city also has such a beautiful history and you must go and see the astronomical clock in the Old Town Square.

London is London. Once you went there you can't do more than love this city and visit it again. Things to do/see: the Big Ben, Camden Town, London Dungeon, Tower of London, Notting Hill, etc.

What I really didn't like was Bodrum... Unfriendly people, so over-touristic, buuuh. No thanks, won't do that again. When you like sun, sea, beach-stuff, cheap fake brands, etc., Bodrum might be a city you like. I'm not really a solar beater, so Bodrum, we won't meet each other again.

Things on my 'To Do-List!' for the upcoming years:
- Moscow
- a trek through Sweden
- New York
- a trek through Canada
- Poland (Warschau, Krakau, Auschwitz, etc.)

Now I still have to find the money to start travelling ;-)

You want more information about the cities I've done, let me know.
Or when you can give me some cities that are really a 'must see', pass it on!

Tips and tricks for helping your hair grow better!

A different subject than I'm used to write about: how can you get your hair longer, stronger and more healthy? 

Since christmas I started a treatment, based on information I've found on Youtube and the internet.

For many years I'm trying to let my hair grow longer, but it's not easy. Not only it grows very slow, next to that my hair was very dry and damaged. Since my puberty my hair changed dramatically. As a child, I had long, strong and thick hair with alot of volume. When I was a young teenager, all that changed because of my hormonal system. My hair got thin and fragile. If it couldn't be any worse, I started bleaching my hair, used a flat iron for almost every day, etc. - things that damaged my hair much more than it already was.

Since a year or two I stopped with ironing and drying my hair with a hairdryer. Since then my hair looked more healthy, isn't burned on the ends like it used to be, etc. I also try to colour my hair only two times in a year and I will never bleach it ever EVER again.

Now, my hair started to grow more, looked more healthy, but I had the problem that when it was on a certain length, it looked like it stopped growing. I only go two times a year to the hairdresser and every time they had cut my hair, I was back to where I started. Time for some action, I will have my long and strong hair back, nah!

I started with the treatment since 26th of Decembre. We are now two weeks further and I start to see some changes already.

First of all, the mother of all hairgrow remedies: BIOTIN!
I started taking biotin a long time ago, but stopped taking it. Not because it didn't work, but because I have a problem with taking medication on a regular basis. Since two weeks ago, I take every day three tablets. It's a B-vitamin that helps with the growth of your nails, hair, etc. Next to that, it's also good for you skin. Normally I have a lot of pimples on my face, but since I started taking Biotin, I have less of them. At this moment I take Biotin 300 mcg from Solgar (see picture). It's like one of the highest dose you find in the stores in Belgium. In America, they have Biotin in 10000 mcg, what has off course more effect than the one of 300 mcg. I ordered from drogisterij.net Biotin in 5000 mcg. For the people that want to order the highest dose there is, you can always buy it on Ebay.

It's your choice, but if I was you I would start with a lower dose first and see how that works for you. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if you notice any difference. 10000 mcg is really high and next to the positive feedback, there are also some complains. Biotin not only makes your hair on your head grow faster, but also on the rest of your body. Next to that, drink enough water! When you take such a high dose, your body will have the need to drink more. It's not dangerous for your health, but still be aware that too much is unnecessary.





Another supplement I take is Omega 3. As some of you know, I am a vegetarian. Most of the tablets contain fishoil, so that is not an option for me, but I have good news for the vegetarians and vegans among us. There are tablets that doesn't contain fish. I ordered, again at drogisterij.net, Omega 3  for vegetarians and vegans. Not only is Omega 3 good for your cardiovascular system, arthritis and for the functioning of the brains, also for your hair and skin! People with diabetes, heart problems, etc., first discuss it with your doctor! Omega 3 isn't totally harmless for you.





As you can see, the food you eat is important for the health of your body and hair. Soooo, eat healthy! It's easier to say than to put it in practice, I know. Every newyear I tell myself: next year you really need to do better and eat more healthy food!

What is healthy? I think we need to eat less meat and add more variation in our food. Eat loads of greens, fruit (max. 4 pieces a day), etc. Try to avoid processed food. Also I need to work on that last one, because I eat too much sugared food... It's an addiction I guess.

Next to eating healthy, getting my biotin and Omega 3, there are the shampoos, oils, etc to use when you wash your hair. It's important to wash your hair not too much! I do it every two days and even that is actually a bit overdo. When you wash your hair every day, you don't give your scalp the chance to produce its own oils. Next to that, when you wash too much, your hair gets greasy way more often. Let your hair recover by itself.

Also, be careful with wet hair. When it's wet, it's more vulnerable than it's dry. So when you get out of the shower, don't rub your hair dry with a towel and start combing it! I roll it in a towel for 5 minutes and after that, I comb my hair with my fingers (very gently).

The shampoos and conditioners I use are the ones with less chemical junk in it. I prefer the shampoos and conditioners from Weleda, Lush, organic shampoos, etc. Also the ones in the hairdressing salons are better than the ones in the supermarket. The shampoos and conditioners in the regular stores actually are very agressive. I advice you to go to a shop where they have natural products. You don't have a shop  in your neighborhoud where you can buy such products? Just order them on internet! For example, Etsy has alot of shops that sell homemade organic shampoo bars for a decent price.

A special shampoo and conditioner I ordered on Ebay: Organix, ever straight brazilian keratin treatment. I use it to give my hair a keratin boost, so that it gets more volume and grows faster. Please, do not use this one too much! I use it once in a week, maximum two times. When you use it too often you will get very dry hair. I'm not fully sure if this shampoo and conditioner is my thing, because it has alot of chemicals in it that are agressive for your hair (don't let yourself caught by the name 'organix'). When I first tried it, my scalp and hands felt a bit irritated. I'm still trying it out, so I'll keep you guys up to date.





Right before I shampoo my hair I use organic virgin coco nut oil. You can not only cook with it, but also use it on your hair, face, etc. I take two tablespoons from it and warm it up in the microwave for just one minute. Then I put it on my hair and massage it on my scalp. I put it on my hair for about an hour and then wash it off in the shower.

The last product I use on my hair is Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula. It's a moisturizer that you use after you went in the shower and your hair is dry again. Take as much as a pea on the palm of your hand, rub it on both hands and spread it all over your hair. I have curls so after I use this product, my curls look better and my hair has a healthy gleam. You can find this one also on drogisterij.net.





One method I tried and really worked (I thought it would be a  fable!) is the inversion method. You can find on Youtube different videos about it. How does this method work? You take olive oil and warm it up in the microwave. After that you put it on your scalp, massage it in (watch out that you don't burn yourself, hot olive oil is dangerous) and you bend yourself over so that your head hangs upside down. You keep standing like that for four minutes. Do it one week a month, every day, and you'll see result! Your hair will grow one inch a month (=2,54cm!). I did it and I noticed my hair being longer than the week before. If you don't believe it, that's fine. You can always try it out. Olive oil (or argan oil, also a good one to use) is good for the hair, so you won't do any harm with trying it.

I hope these tips will help you! If you have more tips and tricks for getting your hair grow better, let me know. I hope 2014 will be the year of the long, shiny and voluminous hair ;)!

Merry Christmas and a happy newyear!

Hi guys

It's been a while!

2013 was a real rollercoaster. I'm looking forward to a new start, I need it!

A short list of my 2013, the goods, but also the bads as well:

- 2013 was my last year of college. I graduated magna cum laude. I can call myself now a social worker! 

- I started with my first job in a pupil guidance center. It's only temporary, so in February I have to look for something new.

- Me and my boyfriend settled in a new place and now live together in our own appartement. A next step was taken in our relationship  <3

- I started the new studies sciences of culture on the Open University in Antwerp. Not cultural studies, because it's not about the modern culture(s), but about culture in the meaning of art, literature, cultural history of Europe, etc.

- I started at the academy with the course drawing. Finally I'm back at the level of drawing where I was when I was a teenager. I love it when I see myself getting better by every drawing.

- And what I will remind the most of 2013 is that my mum passed away. It's hard to have her not in my life anymore. I have moments that her loss haunts me in my sleep, but also in my daily thoughts. There are moments I'm having a hard time, but also moments I'm really doing fine. Ups and downs. But every time I talk about her, tears fill my eyes. I wish she could see me grow from a young girl to a woman. She may not be here, but I feel her by the way she gives me her power to succeed in the things I do. I hope she found peace, because she really had a hard life to live. That she may find the happiness she never had. Forever in my heart, forever on my mind, forever my number one <3

I hope 2014 will be a good year for me. I really lost my happiness after mamma passed away. But after all, I can say I see life different now. I won't take anything for granted. Next to that, every person that walks into my life is someone I cherish. Mamma was so good to the people around her. I never met someone so gentle and loving, even though her self-care was not really how it should be. She cared and looked after everybody else, but herself. She learned me to give every person in your life a chance and to be gentle at. Everyone you meet has influence on you. Be kind, be gentle, treat them like you want to be treated. Don't judgde, but try to see what they see and maybe you'll understand. Take care for the people next to you.

The things I wish you guys in 2014:
- Family and friends that give you the support and love you need

- An individual attitude that is open, solidary (even with people that aren't really present in your living environment) and has no fear for the unknown, but rather is sincerely interested in the other (one).

- A society that becomes less profit-oriented and consumptive, but above all more human.- and animal friendly. We must stop acting like we are superiour to nature. We are all equal and should have respect for our (natural) environment.

Every year I try to contribute to that, I hope you guys too.

For every battle you have to conquer in 2014, never forget that life is a rollercoaster and there will come a moment you will see the bright side again. And if you don't know why you should stand up for yourself, do it for the person(s) you have lost and for the persons you still have around you. Don't be blind and never forget what for a wonderful person you are. Every person is beautiful in their own way! And never forget to reflect and think by every step you take. Don't do something just because that's you. People that always try to be a better person, not only for themselves, but also for the people around them (and not only for your family and friends, look further!) know what life is about. It's not about having a carreer that pays good money, having the best grades, having a certain image, etc. Finally you will see that that is not what life is about. Do not regret on your deathbed that you didn't care enough, because that is one of the things people that are dying regret the most. Don't put your energy in things that aren't actually really necessary.

With this strong, but loving words I want to end my message.

I hope talking to you guys soon!
This time (and I say it alot, I know), I'll try to write more over here.

Big kiss

Killian, my first male model

New pictures - time!
Last week I took some photo's with Killian Janssens as a model.
Let me know what you think.

It's one of the first time I worked with a male model.
Definitely a different way of working than with a woman.
Location was at my place. 

Angela

First time I worked with Angela. 

It was nice to work with her!

The photos were took in the park Hof van Leysen in Antwerp. 

The make - up was done by Monika Firmanty.