Sunday, August 31, 2014

Some Sources for Originality and Inspiration


Not having blogged for some weeks now~
I've particularly thinking about Originality of my blog. Everyone seems to write about the same topics - everyone seems to have the same answers. I follow quite a lot of blogs and I know there are some who are similar, from their design to their content.

I don't want to condemn then but as a beginnerblogger myself I feel repetitive to do what everyone else does. And writing about it, I get stuck so I the end I get confused and don't know what the point of that post is suppose to be.

Over the weeks I've been collecting a few thoughts on originality and trying to put them into action. Some are time consuming but I think learning something new doesn't only benefit your blog content ;)

1. Read
Read about anything you want. Anything that make you experience new things in your head or getting new information on certain things, isn't only refreshing but also liberating, evaluating new thoughts. Educating yourself about new things can give your a new perspective on your past actions, understand past situations/people better.

2. Experience
Now it's time to also make your own practical discoveries. Experiencing something yourself is also very educational and gives insight to - well - other new things. Also, it is fun to get outside and explore other of parts your city~

3. Inspiration
There are many ways for getting inspired. Actually it's a mix of the first two points. Perceiving different pictures, online or in real life can spark an new idea in your head.

4. Consistency
Try to stick to one or several topics. Having a theme you constantly exploring makes it easy to look for new content to produce. Also, the reader feels reassured about your blog and its content.

5. Do what you want
As long as you know what content to create, don't let you be restricted by factors like pretty photography. Although it's a great bonus, most important is that you're writing something you're confident and passionate about!
For myself I struggle the most with making photos. I already have written my post but I still haven't shot that one photo... Sometimes I have to tell myself that it's more important to put the post up than worrying about that picture :)


What sources do you use for staying inspired?

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

5 Steps to Start Reading (Again)

Source: unknown

I used to have an unhealthy relationship with books. I would finish one a day in junior high. I procrastinated from doing my homework by reading. I had to hide the fact that I've been reading all the time and doing my homework just before class started.
That's when it started that my father wanted me to read newspaper and biographies of successful people. I stopped reading for a long time.

We all know the importance of reading. Since some years I try to pick up the habit of reading again. I found it quite difficult to get back on track.
But have some steps to spark your love for reading / again:

  1. Know what kind of genre you enjoy to read.
  2. Do your research about of an potential read. 
  3. Re-read old favorites.
  4. Maybe switch languages since it gives you a new perspective of the story.
    (I enjoy English books much better than the translations or even German books... German books are all so fussy about the wrong things...)
  5. Make a book club with friends that enjoy reading :)
    (I just started mine on FB~)

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Living Alone and Feeling Lonely

(c) rebecca toh | simpledays.co

Living alone was the best experience I could ever have as a student. You grow up and become independent. You learn to organize your daily life, when to buy groceries, when to do laundry... Even if you really didn't want to do tidy up you know that eventually you have do clean up your mess. It's your mess, no one else's - so depends on how high your level of tolerance to dirt is, you'll eventually do it.

What I miss about living alone is the way you store things. Where you put your furniture and how to decorate. You don't have to be bothered by your parents to place the food processor somewhere else since you're going to use it nearly every day (smoothies and juices ;)).

Also I enjoyed my free time I could spent with my friend. I could come home whenever I felt like - I could leave the house whenever I felt like. No reporting your moves to anyone - no one would worry about you. If you really enjoy your freedom - you'd really enjoy that~

Sometimes even the most free-willed person could feel lonely. Here are some ideas on how to not feel alone in the world at those vulnerable times at night.

1. Have a really good/big/cute stuffed animal/toy.
I find it helped me stay calm when I felt really alone. Just cuddling with my huge stuffed fox animal and doing things I have to do (answer e-mails) while being able to wrap my arms around that fluffy pillow-y toy made me able to go through it without being distracted by my feelings.

2. Watching TV-series/films.
It really distract you from thinking too much. It also gives you the feeling that human interactions are happening right now. Same is it with radio shows. Just having a voice talking to you makes your mind think that there are human in the room with you.

3. Chatting with friends via social media or over the phone.
This one is obvious but just call a friend and talk about your day and old times makes you feel better right away.

Enjoy your living by yourself as much as possible - you don't want to go back to living with your parents once you experienced it once

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Easy Summer Quinoa Chickpea Salad

It's been very warm lately and I usually don't want to make a fuss around food in the summer. And I have been thinking ways to incorporate basil into my salads besides caprese salads since I became a proud owner of those supermarket basil plants :) I easily get attached to things I own...

So I came up with this.

You need for 2/3 people:
  • 4 cups of Quinoa, cooked in broth
  • 1 cup of Chickpeas
  • 1 cup of Red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup of Tomato, diced
  • 1 cup of Corn
  • 1 cup of Basil leafs, freshly picked
  • 1/4 cups of of Pine nuts, toasted
Dressing:
  • 1/2 cups of Olive oil
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Serve this warm :D

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Morning Routine for More Energy!

  1. After waking up, drink 1/2 l of water. 
  2. Massage your stomach gently making circle motions. 
  3. Do some stretches and hold some planks. 
  4. Have something nutritious
  5. Pick out a comfortable outfit (Make a capsule wardrobe for an easier clothing choice).
  6. Start your day.
What kind of morning routine do you have?

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Having a satisfying/fun birthday party

(c) W. Turnowsky LTD.
  1. Come up with a theme and put down a dresscode (what about an all-in-white party?).
  2. Invite friends you care about (no obligatory invites to work colleagues...).
  3. Prepare food and drinks sufficiently.
  4. Play some party games.
  5. Don't stress about little mistakes. Take things more lightly but have a plan.
  6. Have fun :)