Change of Lifestyle

Hi everybody!

Today I would love to tell you all about the change of heart I had last week, when I was in a particular good mood due to the nice weather and songs I listened to. In fact, I'd like to share this music with you because it will uplift the way you're feeling in no-time. 

So you know how people make reservations on New Year's Eve, in a depressed and forlorn attempt of changing their life around? Because let's face it... The only reason people make those reservations each year is because they're disappointed by the fact that they didn't stick to them last year. Well, I am not that kind of person. I never make reservations out of disappointment, but rather out of positivity that it would make my life just that little bit better or more worthwhile. No; I make my reservations on sunny afternoons in May. ✿

I just want to say first that I am very content with the way my life is going. I've got good education, good health, nice clothes and quite honestly don't have much to nag about. (Except for the horrendous amounts of homework they throw at us in school, making it close to impossible for me to find the time to write on my blog). But because of this general content, life can get kind of boring! I wake up every morning, at 6:30 -way too early- AM, and the exact same things happen with each passing day. I get up, I go to school, I bike home, I try (mind how I say try) to relax, I eat supper, I do my homework and then back to bed again. And despite it being such a rut, I feel like -besides obvious school schedules- I've got no self-created routine at all! I feel like I'm just floating around, randomly doing things and making bad decisions. Just passing time, if you get where I'm going with this?

Until last week's Monday afternoon.

Because that Monday afternoon, I had an epiphany!

I was watching loads of videos on Youtube, like I usually enjoy doing in my free time, when I realized that is what I want. I know it's all just snippets of someone's life and very probably also slightly acted, but still: I feel like the kind of lifestyle they portray is something I want, too. There's loads of videos where people show their night-routines, or their morning-routines; and I thought maybe, just maybe if I plan these fun, enjoyable moments for myself as well... As my own routine... Life wouldn't be such a rut anymore.

I have always been one to be very keen on good - or at least reasonable - marks at school, and to hold to a certain reputation. (If that's the correct word to use here? It's not necessarily a social reputation, but more some kind of reputation of myself which I created inside my head... Like an expectation to live up to, I suppose?) But with that I tend to forget the importance of making myself feel good, or at least at ease... The importance of doing something solely for myself. I suppose I rediscovered this on my feel-good hours last Monday afternoon.

So what do I mean by my Change of Lifestyle?

The way I'd like to live my life is based mainly on personal preferences, or so to say: To adjust my lifestyle to the things that make me feel my best. To no longer be dominated by the fear of failure, or fear of embarrassment that has been brought to me by school and insecurities. From now on, no matter how tough the day or how big the pile of homework, I will never forget myself. I will take the time to pamper myself with all the things that I love doing, wearing, smelling, seeing, hearing or reading. I'm sick of having panic attacks, and I hope that this way of living will reduce the amount of them I have. I believe that it will help me "breathe" through situations that make me feel nervous or trapped.

How am I gonna try to achieve this?

- Please note, that these are not things I'm forcing myself to do. These are things I want to do, and feel like would help me, and I will never feel guilty for not doing them. -

First of all, I'm going to try to take more time for my body. Strange as it may sound, when my life gets messy, my skin gets sticky. Things like showering or moisturizing or using crèmes take up quite a lot of time when you're rushing to get yourself to school. On busy days, I spend as little time as possible on skin-treatment like the ones I just mentioned. From now on, I'm going to try my best to take at least half an hour each day. Preferably at night, I will use my time to wash my hair with proper attendance, instead of thoroughly putting some shampoo in my hair. I will take time to scrub or cream or wash my body with products that smell nice and make me smile.

And then when I get out of the shower I will luxuriously besmear my legs with body butter or any other body lotion to my liking. Princess like, with a towel wrapped around my hair. And then I'll finish off the routine with my moisturizer from Formula 10.0.6, making my skin super soft; as it tends to get really dry after I've taken a shower. (Is that weird? It sounds weird, doesn't it? :p)

Right before I snuggle into bed, and cover myself under both my duvet and coverlet, I will put some hand-cream on and soften my lips with lip balm. Then I will put in my earplugs and listen to this playlist while reading a book or until I'm sleepy.

Then, as I decide to close my eyes and try to sleep, I will first get my Sleepbot app ready. Everyone should try that app, it's amazing! It tracks you while you sleep, as in sound and movement, and wakes you up with a friendly tone within a span of time of your choice. It tries to find your lightest sleep, so that it won't have to tear you from your deepest. I decided to download this when I was fed up with the horrid beeping of my old alarm clock, and it really helps me getting out of bed in the morning. It also gives you tips on how to sleep better, or how to stay awake during the day, as well as it shows you how much sleep you're lacking. It's truly helpful and fun a the same time. (It helped me figure out that I talk in my sleep :/ Some nights ago I kept saying "dertig" which is Dutch for thirty.. I don't know what it means, but I've decided that I'm some kind of math genius and that I've found the answer to time travel :p)

I will try to drink more tea than I drink soda. I need to say that I love tea, so that shouldn't be a problem in any way.

I will try to eat more fruit. Fruit was always something that needed to be force-fed to me, and from now on I will take more initiative in taking it out of the fridge myself ;) Honestly, what's not to love about a little Tupperware box full of strawberries at school? Or lying back in the garden and eating grapes from the branches as if you're a Greek God? I realize that if I simply start enjoying these activities, it'll be easier to keep up as well.

I will read more books. You have seen the list of books I want to read, I gather? It's getting out of hand. There's so many that I want to read, and so many that I am not reading. Once reading for school - Lord of The Flies (which is actually a lovely book) and Tschick (which is German and I don't like) - is over, I wish to start in the book my dear friend Dominique gave me for my birthday. ♥ She gave me The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion, which is said to be extremely funny and awkwardly romantic. I can't wait to get lost in the pages while chilling in the sun. (Can the summer holidays be here already???)

I'm going to write more!!

Seriously, yesterday I couldn't go to school because I had some sort of mental breakdown/panic attack that affected my entire day, and I spent the rest of my day working on my book. Not only did I finish writing several chapters, and I'm very fond of those, I also wrote a long letter to my dear friend Othilie in Norway and worked on this monster of a blog post. ;)

Somehow I'm really excited about changing bits of myself. I feel more confident about this than ever before.

I hope you liked reading about this, about me and my changes; maybe you even got inspired yourself?

Lots of love,

Eva

You're the B's Knees

Time for a little update on my Instagram-alphabet. As you may have read in two of my previous blogposts, I've started a project in which I create collages of objects I found in/around my house and photograph them for my Instagram account. As I am running a little behind on blog posts compared to photos, I'm planning on doing two today :) So, here's B!

B is for Bikini, Bulb, Bathballistic, Banana, Bracelet and Bunting. Yup, I created a funny face :) 

The bikini I bought last year and it is my absolute favourite ♥ It is from H&M and it's super comfortable. Also; I just love the colour and pattern so much! I'm not even sure what it is, exactly? Stars or something? I just know that I love it to bits. 

Look at that teeny little bulb! Isn't it adorable? I was looking for a light bulb inside my house and my sister came running up to me with this little thing. She told me it was originally from her sowing machine, but that it was broken so I could use it. I had never seen such a cute (and old) little light bulb before. Funny, isn't it? How such little (pun not intended) things can bring a smile onto my face? :)

Bathballistic! This is one came from one my favourite shops on earth: Lush. For those of you who do not know this glorious company; it is a bath and cosmetics shop that sells handmade products that smell absolutely delicious. Just walking by their shop makes your heart pound a faster; it is the best place to go when you're out shopping in the city, even if you're just popping by to sniff their new products. Added to this, the people of Lush are strictly against animal testing; and thus no bunnies had to suffer for your shampoo or moisturizer. Sadly, though, the prices of the products tend to be quite high in result of their friendly manufacturing. So when you're popping by at the Lush shop, be prepared to burn a hole in your pocket.

Banana! As much as I love seeing them in photographs because they give that summer-feeling; I absolutely HATE bananas. I don't like eating them, I don't like smelling them and above all I hate touching them. (When the peel's off, obviously...) It doesn't matter how convinced you are that I will like your smoothie despite the fact that it has bananas in it; I won't. It's been that way since I was little, and it's still that way today. I did love it in this photograph, hence why it's in there along with the other objects.

The bracelet I bought a little more than a year ago, at a shop called Newyorker. It's got little skull beads and has a light blue colour. I truly like it, but I don't wear it as often. When it comes to jewelry I am much more fond of necklaces. I think that is mainly because you don't feel it all the time, and it doesn't start hurting or annoying your skin. You know when you're writing a paper for school and it hits the table all the time? Yeah, no thanks. I love bracelets, just not that much at school.

Last but not least, there is my adorable bunting. Oh! That also reminds me of my next crafting project :) I was planning on making my own little bunting to send to my penpals in Turkey, China and England. There's just something about bunting that I love. Each year, on my birthday, my mum asks me if I still want to have the flags up. Yes. I will NEVER celebrate my birthday without bunting. It's just part of the celebration! If you don't agree with me, then I'd need an entire essay from you in order to prove your point. The bunting in the photo comes from a special published by the mind-style magazine Flow. It is a magazine my mum has been reading for years now, and I always steal her copies once she's done reading them. It is truly the prettiest magazine I know of. It's also often filled with paper-goodies, and I am a maniac when it comes to pretty paper. (Seriously, you should see my snailmail-box... It's a scary addiction to have...)

With love,

Eva