Cleanliness is next to godliness

I love this retro cartoon, and love to think that my house is only a mess when I've been out and about having fun...! I have just spent the better part of this beautiful Sunday morning cleaning the house... We've had a busy weekend, and I've had a lazy week, in terms of cleaning at least. I love a clean home! Shining surfaces, clean kitchen and bathroom, and most importantly - no clutter! I hate clutter! I hate piles of things just starting to appear from nowhere, paper and random little bits and pieces. I am trying to keep all the clutter in our home to the very very minimum, and destroy any piles before they start forming.

This gorgeous Sunday afternoon I'm planning on driving out to a big grocery store outside the city center, and stocking up on cleaning products. Most of all, I want to buy a big stash of those handy cleaning wipes that you can use to wipe off dust and get almost any surface squeaky clean. Terrible environmentally un-friendly, but these little wipes are my vice. And then I want a couple of files where we can neatly store all our paper bits, bank statements etc. I am not organised by nature, but when I get around to organising, it's great!

x

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes!

I am looking out the window at a beautiful sight - the late afternoon's sunshine is lighting up the building across the street in beautiful hues of orange, red, and golden. The sun is here! I've felt different all day, and I love it. Come on sun, keep shining throughout the month of March, and cheer up this gray city. Give us some smiles and make us squint, melt away all these piles of snow, and best of all, give me permission to wear my new ray-bans.

We're heading towards spring people!

x

All this cellulite has got to go!

I am so on a mission to get rid of all this cellulite that's accumulated on my thighs and butt over the last 10 or so years. I've finally decided, and started, doing something about it! We've only got about 3 months till the summer! Isn't it funny how the summer seems so far away, yet in cellulite terms, it's just around the corner.

I'm quite slim, weighing about 57 kilos, and am about 167cm tall. My muscle definition however, is virtually non-existent. I've always hated sports, and to be honest, I can be pretty lazy. But now with our wedding coming up this summer, and my 30th birthday a few weeks back, I've realised it's now or never. I've been going to to gym regularly now since the end of January. I've been going about 3 times a week, and so far, haven't seen a massive difference in the way I look. But I tell you what, I have felt a massive difference on the inside! I feel better about myself, and have more energy. Looks like they've been telling the truth all along! Apparently it takes about 6 weeks to form a habit, and I've been exercising for about that length of time now. And am loving it! Will post more about my regime later, but here is some info on the cellulite regime I'm working on:

Vitamins / supplements I'm taking:

- Gotu Kola

- Kelp

- Body detox supplement

- Fish liver oil

External stuff:

- I've only bought my body brush yesterday, but am going to start using it every day now. It's from Stockmann, and cost about 15 eur.

- Clarins high definition body lift lotion once a day.

- Regular body exfoliation either with either Clarins' body exfoliator, or Lush's sugar bar.

- Regular massages would be great too! The brush I bought has a massagey thing on the other side, which I plan to use in the shower.

- When massaging or brushing, do it upwards, toward the heart. This encourages blood and lymphatic flow.

Exercise:

- I'm going to the gym 3-4 times a week. I do a higher intensity workout about 3 times, and something less intense, like yoga or pilates, once.

- I've got a meeting scheduled with a personal trainer next week, and I plan to discuss cellulite in particular. So will report back!

Food:

- This is the hardest bit for me! I'm trying to eat more berries, oranges, apples, peppers, kiwi fruits, pears and tomatoes. It's recommended that you eat organic, but it's so expensive!

- I'm trying to stay away from too many steaks, and eating more chicken (I don't eat fish unfortunately...)

- Drinking lots of water!

- Buying lower fat dairy products.

- Avoiding white carbohydrates where possible, and buying wholegrain bread and pasta.

- Cutting down on sugar and salt, and using honey to sweeten where needed.

- Cutting down on alcohol.

Wish me luck! The best bit of this is that I'm enjoying it, it's nice to see progress, it's healthy so I'm feeling better on the inside, and the thought of looking much better next summer in cute little summer clothes is keeping me going.

And one last tip, cellulite looks sooo much better with a tan! ;)

x

Healthy & quick little treat

Mush up some bananas with a touch of skim milk and a dash of honey.

For the most incredible smoothies in the world, add more of everything, plus some crushed ice, throw into a blender, and enjoy! Mmmmmmmm....

xx

Happy thoughts for today!

Some things to cheer me up on this gray March morning:

- The days are finally getting longer! We went out for a drink last night at 5.30, and it was still totally light outside! Woohoo!

- The gorgeous smell of Lush products in our apartment. Their products are handmade using organic fruit and veg, aren't tested on animals, and smell... well, lush. Check out their online store, or in Helsinki's Citykäytävä. The smell also brings back sweet London memories, where our pad was just minutes away from Portobello Road's Lush store. Awwww....

- I'm going to the hairdresser today! Going blonder again, all this talk about going back to my natural colour is just so overrated. Let's face it, I look better as a highlighted blonde, bleach-tortured hair and all, than rocking a more natural but healthier colour.

- I finished my root canal yesterday! And it wasn't so bad! Having avoided the dentist for years, I got an infected tooth and needed a root canal, which scared me to death. It was actually less painful than getting a filling. Take care of your teeth people!

- We're going out for sushi tonight. Trying to eat healthy and lose weight before our wedding this summer, my boyfriend and I are trying hard to start a stricter new eating and exercising regime. We love eating out, big juicy steaks, chocolate desserts, non-salad starters, and lots of red wine... Sushi's allowed though, right?

- It's Thursday, which means it's nearly Friday, which means it's nearly weekend, right? Happy days!

Happy Thursday!

xx

Welcome!

This blog is about finding beauty. It's about finding it inside of us, but on the outside as well. I love aesthetics, and want to enjoy beauty. I love looking and feeling great, and want more positivity and happiness in my life.

The thoughts and experiences I will share here are going to range from tanning and fake lashes to vitamins and the laws of karma and relationships and restaurants and cooking. Anything and everything that I enjoy about life. The purpose of this blog is partly to record my own thoughts, partly to inspire others.

I've been through a long journey this past year, in my whole life actually. I turned 30 a few weeks ago, and it's time for change. I've had lots of great experiences already, lived in numerous different countries, and had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people. On the surface my life is great, yet like most of us, I'm often plagued by negativity. I've suffered from depression, am often moody and jealous, and have pretty low self-esteem. I've often thought about trying to change all this, but nothing has ever really changed. Then suddenly, away on holiday for my 30th birthday, without even realising it was happening, there it was - change. It came to me when I least expected it. Just the understanding and will to do things differently, and learn and listen. To believe in myself. I'm just starting on this journey, but it's been a great start. I have a long way to go, but I'm excited, and can't wait to see where I end up.

I would love to hear from you - please leave comments if something evokes you. Both english and finnish are fine.

Happy Wednesday!

xx