Paris haul!

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Hi Guys, 

I haven't written on the blog for a while but have been very busy recently!  I went to Paris for a few days with my mum last month and the trip turned out to be a lovely break! I did do some shopping there and would like to to show you guys what I got. I don't mean to brag about how much stuff I got but thought it might give you some ideas :-) 

First of all, I bought some amazing cosmetics! We went to one of those amazing French pharmacies on the first day. There is so much stuff in there that you could literally spend a couple of hours just browsing. And the stuff is cheaper then in the Uk! So I got two cans of Avene thermal water (300 ml each). It's great for cleansing your skin after all day wearing make-up and for refreshing your face on hot summer days. I also got Normaderm deep purifying gel which is amazing if you have problems with blemishes. I also got 2 Vichy roll antiperspirants which are wonderful and I use them regularly.

Cosmetics

I also went into this huge MAC shop on Rue de Rivoli and got my first MAC products and I have to tell you they are AMAZING. First is the highlighter in the lightest shade possible and cream blusher. Also the lady in there was very helpful and I am very satisfied with this purchase. MAC stuff is a bit pricey but definitely worth it! 

MAC cosmetics

Also we went to this really cool area of Paris called Le Marais, which is full of shops if you want to get something unique!  There was a market on and I got a pair of these wonderful handmade earrings. They were really cheap as well. They are made with this material that doesn't cause allergic reactions so I am 100% happy with them. In one of the back alleys I got a very pretty green leather purse with loads of different compartments inside.

Jewellery

My next buy is a Lancôme eau de perfum  called 'La vie est belle'. Oh God , it is such an amazing smell. I got it in the Galleries Lafayette, and paid for it around £15-£20 cheaper then I would in Boots in the UK :-) Ingredients: Iris Pallida, Jasmin, Orange Blossom, Patchouli...

La vie est belle by   Lancôme

We also ended up in Yves Rocher store on Champs Elysées and I bought this gorgeous smelling raspberry lipstick which gives you a nice raspberry colour :-)

Yves Rocher

My next buy is this jewellery hanger, which I bought for like 5 euros if not cheaper but think it is quite nice and unique

Jewellery hanger 

Nearby Sacre Coeur I got this lovely scarf for 5 euros which is a bargain! Love the colours!

Scarf

A bit of clothing below:

• Skirt for 2 euros ha bargain! In a cheap shop called SYMPA at Montmartre, and they say Paris is very expensive hey ? :-)

Skirt by Camaïeu

• Solaris sunglasses 

Sunglasses

• Black pumps from a shoe shop called Minelli, they will go with almost anything (100% leather)

Black pumps

• Spring/autumn coat from Gap

GAP coat

 • and this lovely vintage dress from a second hand shop 

Vintage

• needed a big handbag so bought this lovely ALDO bag

ALDO bag

And a scarf from Galleries Lafayette

Scarf

And last but not least this lovely Verbena tea which has a lot of health benefits and some of them are listed below. This tea is traditionally used in France.

1. Digestive aid
2. Low in calories 
3. Boosts the immune system

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Beautiful El Nido Palawan , Phillipines

Out trip to the lovely Phillipines happened to be exactly in between the earthquake and the big Thyhoon in October 2013. I guess  it was a bit of a lucky escape for us. Here are a few photos from the lovely island called Palawan. 

• Khalua plus milk - White Russian 

• Island hopping

• Venus from Phillipines

•lunch - fresh fish, fruit, rice

Quinoa Tabbouleh salad

Nice, light and refreshing salad coming from the Middle East. The orginal salad is made with bulgar wheat but I have replaced it with soft textured quinoa which I prefer over coarse bulgar. Quinoa is very healthy choice, native to South America. It is packed with nutrients, protein. 

You will need the following ingredients:

• 170 g of uncooked quinoa

• 150 g of fresh minced flat leaf parsley and 20g of fresh minced mint

• two seeded tomatoes finely chopped

• 25 g of chopped scallions

• salt and pepper 

• lemon juice from 3/4 of a lemon

• 4 tbsp of extra virgin oil olive

• 1 clove of garlic - minced (optional) 

First step is to rinse the quinoa under cold water until water runs clear and spread evenly over the frying pan. Place over medium heat until the moisture evaporate steering often. Next , cook for 10-15 minuta steering until grains start to pop and turn golden.  Place in a pan and boil slowly for 15 mins. Wait to cool and then you are ready to mix all the ingredients together into this beautiful and healthy salad.i hope you enjoy!!!

Raspberry milkshake

Today a simple idea for a milkshake. All you need is raspberries and milk.

 I have gotten a bit bored of eating fresh raspberries that is why I am making a milkshake out of them. Get around 200g of fresh raspberries and  around 200-250 ml of organic cow milk. I do prefer rice milk for shakes but I didn't have any at home. Put both in a blender/liquidiser and blend :)

You can put some sugar in because raspberries are quite sour or add two bananas to get a bit smoother taste :) Enjoy!

Milkshakes

I love milkshakes! I could drink them everyday especially now in the summer :) I tend to replace cow's  milk with other alternatives. I would like to eat more plant foods that's why I do it.  In my opinion the best for shakes is rice milk but have tried soya and oat milk as well. Today I made a very simple shake using organic strawberries and soya milk. Just blended both together in a liquidiser and voila ! Enjoy! :)

How to make a healthy and light lunch?

Today I would like to share with you guys my fabulous lunch I made for myself. It was a very spontaneous idea and I used stuff I had left in my fridge with short ''Use by''date. There is no meat in this dish so it is perfect for those who don't eat meat at all as well as for those who are taking a break from eating meat. I personally have cut down on eating meat quite a lot recently, even though I haven't eliminated it from my diet completely. I have to tell you that I feel much better and don't have that many problems with my skin as I used to. This dish is a fantastic idea for lunch or dinner. You can take it with you to work! 

In order to prepare this dish you will need:

• around half mug of fusili pasta
• one sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon of green Pesto
• a mix of lettuce
• cottage cheese
• around 2 spoons of finely chopped onions 
• pinch of salt
• herb pepper

Wash and peel the potato, subsequently cut it into pieces of roughly the same size. On a aluminium foil place the potato into a pre-heated oven (around 190 degrees) for about 25 mins. In the meantime boil pasta and mix with Pesto when done. Mix the cottage cheese with onion and season with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!

Stripping down for photos aka Naked Tourism :)

I have recently come across an article on the latest trend in travelling which is Naked Tourism :) It supposedly involves taking naked photos at popular tourist sites around  the world. The article was about how Peruvian authorities have issued a warning for travelers taking nude photos at Machu Pichu. I have to tell you this article made my day and made me laugh! Personally, I think the idea of Naked Tourism is a good fun! Of course, I would probably be against taking such photos in places of religious character but otherwise why not? What do you guys think about it? :)   Also, check out this site My Naked Trip where you can find a collection of photos by an Israeli traveler!