I saw this and thought how true.  Maybe not for society, but definitly for me.

Lately, I have been putting my boyfriend under so much stress of changing our "style's", and I have noticed that my taste in clothes for men has changed; before it was the cap, the big tee's and baggy jeans.
Last time I went shopping with my guy, it was more about, Skinny jeans, normal trousers, blazers, shirts and a nicely styled haircut which we got at Gino's hairdressing in Russell Square, London.
The Kicks are still in though, I think his and my own shoe fetish won't leave our side, but who said that a great pair of Converse or Nike doesn't make you look good when you are suited up?

I'm not dissing the swagger or urban look as I really like it too and depending on the guy its for him, but adding a bit of class now and again is definitly a turn on to us women!
He now looks clean cut, more his age and very very sexy....

15 Things you should give up to be Happy.

This was sent to me by a friend and was written by Dana Saviuc, it has so much truth to it so I would like to share it with you.

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

--by Dana Saviuc, Original Story, May 10, 2012

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a

lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right.There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

This article is reprinted with permission. Dana Saviuc is an enthusiastic student of the arts, economics, psychology and spirituality.

Shambhala - New Coaster at PortAventura

This weekend was the opening of the newest rollercoaster at Port Aventura.
The ride: Shambhala
Expedition in the Himalaya - it says it all really, doesn't it?


This is the highest roller coaster in Europe, which has a 76Metre drop, the fastest drop and fastest in Europe, and I got the opportunity to ride this on the opening day.
The experience was amazing, you are held in your seat with just one bar holding you in.
It gives you the sensation that you are flying and I recommend this to any rollercoaster fans. You really can't compare this to any ride as it is so unbelievably smooth, no head banging, no dizzy spells just pure flying (feeling) across a park.

Port aventura has other great rides, the water ones which is great to cool you down in the blazing sun and Furios Bacos which also is amazing. It goes from 0 - 135km in just 5 seconds.




The park is worth visiting and if you go in summer you have a water park too.

The entrance to the park is 44€ but there are offers always available, so before going always look online to see what they have on offer.

But make sure you try this ride out! I definitly give it 10 out of 10!!!

Unbelievable Tupac Hologram Live At Coachella

This doesnt need an introduction really...



It is almost unbelievable where technology has taken us, I used to see these things occur in Sci Fi films of a future that seemed a lot further that it really is, now it is happening at a music festival. I felt a mix of emotions, sadness, happiness and weirdness to see Tupac "perform" one last time.

Also must of been great for Snoop to be able to perform with his friend in front of thousands years later in very different circumstances.
Amazing and a memorable moment.

Mirror...Mirror?

Mirror, Mirror,

What is this obsession with my reflection?

The woman I see, I’m sure that isn’t me,

Yet I reflect myself on this darkened grim image.

We are from different sides;
we come from different backgrounds,

We are not alike yet the image is almost picture perfect.

I feel like I’m in a fun house running away from the different images,

But she follows me like a puppy looking for sympathy.

Pulling at my leg and ripping through my tights.

I tell myself she isn’t there; it’s just an image yet its real and infecting my thoughts.

The hallways are narrowing down to the point where I need to squeeze through to the next room.

I fit through but I can’t breathe, my face is worsened in every frame.

What happened to the woman that once had her own name?

Mirror, Mirror,

I want to break this curse before it gets worse.

Shall I smash you into a million pieces?

Or cover up before I get infected with these diseases?

I cover you from every wall but it seems to do nothing at all.

You’re gone from in front of me, but your still inside of me.

I stop staring at the image but the cracks have begun to show.

Mirror on the wall, you really have to go.

The tightness on my chest and brain is weighing me down,

I want to run but there is no where I can turn to.

The door is at a short distance but I’m running on a treadmill and can’t reach the knob.

My hand reaches out but I trip and fall, as I look up there is another mirror there.

I pick up a rock and throw it as hard and high up in the air.

The mirror smashes and falls on top of me,

As the shards come crashing down I cover myself up like a cocoon so it won’t cut.

One has fallen close to my heart, it’s not lethal but it’s stuck like a dart.

I need time to heal my wound before it gets any deeper.

I won’t allow this mirror image make me feel weaker.

Mirror, Mirror,

Tomorrow I’m changing you for a big window,

So I can look out at the beautiful, yellow and green meadow.

I want to run free and not feel trapped.

I won’t compare myself to an image that isn’t really there.

Only I see what I want to perceive, but the disease has been spread and I feel worthless.

I will no longer live within this destructive mess.

I will stand up to the surrealism I feel and my image will change to the one I used to know.

Tomorrow or the next day will be the beginning to an everyday glow.

The Voice UK Vs BGT

This morning I opened up the daily mail (as I do every day) and read how The Voice Uk has won this weekend in the viewings with 11.8 millions viewers, compared to BGT with 5.8million for Britain’s Got Talent.
Now, I personally do not watch reality shows, I did my time when I lived in London, I watched Popstars and Pop Idol but by the time X-factor came out I was bored of this reality, media frenzy.
So many hopefuls get chosen each week to become the next possible star in the UK and around the World, but I feel this has ruined the music culture and it seems that anyone can be famous, being talented or talentless.
I can't start critising BGT, as I only watch snippets online but I disagree with this show, not because of the people who participate, but because of what media does to these poor people.
They get built up, made famous, put on a pedestal and then they get crushed, chewed and then spat out, but then its their choice for going on the show.

So, when I heard about The Voice a "new and fresh" TV talent show I was really adamant about watching this.
I live in Barcelona, so I don't really watch British TV, but now that I have discovered the wonders of Internet and expat shields on occasions I can see what is happening in my good old England.
Last night i decided to watch a second episode of The Voice and I must say this is the winner for me.
Why The Voice?
The main reason why I like the Voice is because, all the contests have a good voice. Whether it wins the Judges ears, heart or even gut it doesn't matter, this is different to X- Factor and BGT as all the people on the show have been chosen to audition because they have talent.
There is no one there on the show to take the piss out of, no one to be made a laughing stock, its just people with talent competing with eachother to get a place in one of the judges teams.
The next episode will have battles and I'm actually looking forward to seeing it.
Its not just competitors singing their hearts out to a Lady Gaga tune, they are competing, battling it out.

The only thing I disagree with the programme is when they do not choose certain contestants as they think they will get someone better in the next "blind audition". I feel they skipped a few people that really had the talent, but I'm sure either Will.I.am or Jessie J will approach them in the near future.
The one singer that struck me and possibly the rest of the viewers was the magnificent 27-year-old Jaz Ellington, he was a true star and I really hope he makes it big as he really deserves it. Just the way he made all the stars emotional with his raw talent was what sold it to me.


Lets see how the battles commence next week.

Buddhism in Modern life - Session 1

For over a month now I have been assisting a Buddhist centre with a friend.

Why?

Because I was facing my own daily struggles and wanted to find a new way to help me not get worked up over almost everything that was in front of me.

Why not visit a psychologist?

A psychologist costs money, unless you do it on the national health but sometimes they have no time for you and it makes you feel worse. A psychiatrist also costs money and drugs are involved and sometimes it is really unnecessary as it has its negative things, like the fact while you are medicating you aren’t yourself. You have a false happiness and the day you stop medicating you will desperately miss it and this to me, causes great dependence.

I don´t disagree with going to a psychologist but in these times of crisis I wanted to find other methods to find my inner peace.

Is a Buddhist centre focused on depression, religion and meditating?

No, the Buddhist centre I visit has different sessions and the one I have been attending is Buddhism in the modern world. I have also gone to a one off session on how to prevent anxiety.

What have I learnt so far?

So far I’m learning that each and every one of us needs to find our inner selves. We all need to learn why we react to certain things,

Why do we feel depressed?

Why do we get anxiety?

Why we have to accept people for who they are.

My friends at work laugh at me, they ask when I am going to levitate and murmur “ommmmmmmmmm” as I pass.

I’m not going to try and sell it to anyone. I’m doing this for myself, but if anyone does show interest I will obviously be honest and explain why it has helped me. People don’t know my struggles unless it’s my boyfriend that has to put up with my moping around and crying.

When this became a daily thing and I was blaming the past on everything that was happening today, I thought, no one is going to save me but myself. People do judge especially when they aren’t living your life, but this isn’t a sob story, on the contrary. I live with what I have lived and we all can as long as you learn how to tackle the past.

That’s the first approach we need to take, to better ourselves.

How can we better ourselves?

First thing I was taught in my first Buddhist session was to love and respect everyone as if they were your Mother?

More than one looked across the room thinking, “Mmmmm….?”

I really didn’t understand this comment. Some kids have had terrible mothers, let alone the ones you read about in the newspapers where Mothers beat their kids or abandon them and even let them die. So if as a child someone has gone through this how can this be a real example?

Well we asked the teacher. His response, “your mother didn’t abort you, did she? She gave birth to you. Just with this great gift of life you have to appreciate the person we call mother and try and treat everyone the same”.

Some people are cruel, a pain in the backside and we can’t expect to handle everyone, so how can I treat them like a mother.

You don’t, but all they say is to have respect.

Why is it when an old woman of 90 years old can be forgiven for being cranky or moody but a young 27 year old can’t get away with it? What is the difference?

Your response: The 90 year old lady isn’t well.

Let me ask you like the Buddhist asked us, and is the 27 year old well? The answer is no.

If a young girl, mother, family member, friend, colleague (whatever he/she is) has a character that you find difficult to handle why not say, she isn’t well instead of criticizing them and ignoring their possible needs?

This was a difficult lesson to understand but I do understand it.

I had an enemies list, they weren’t my enemies though, they were people that for some reason had grown to dislike me, who didn’t want anything to do with me and this made me angry, this made me feel horrible inside and this was something I wanted to change. So, when the Buddhist told us these two important facts, treat everyone as your mother and accept everyone for who they are, if they treat you badly, cut them off and accept they aren’t well.

Apart from the lessons we get each week, we also meditate. This is a very difficult process which I am improving on every week but I don’t want to post on this until I begin to master it.

So far I can tell you that from my first meditation to my latest I have improved. I can release the bad vibes (black cloud) from within and fill myself up with only good, peace and the white cloud.

I must admit this is a very difficult process, all I think about is, what shall I cook when I get home? Will so and so be happy with what I did at work? Will my mother in law ever accept me…?

Shoo shoo thoughts, go away! These are questions I don’t need to be asking myself. All I need to think about is taking all the negativity out and finding the person I am.

…to be continued…

JR CampoBase, NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS: Los 10 mandamientos de la Actitud Mental Positiva

Una compañera ha compartido este blog post con migo y me ha encantado, así lo comparto con vosotros.


JR CampoBase, NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS: Los 10 mandamientos de la Actitud Mental Positiva: Investigaciones llevadas a cabo por la Universidad de Harvard, la Fundación Carnegie y el Standford Research Institute, demostraron que u...

Recipe of the week - Elver and Prawns

Last night I made this dish, and as it was such an easy and even tastier one, I thought I had to share it with you readers.

This main dish was taken from a work colleague of mine, so I can´t take the credit on originality.

Then the side dish is a simple salad that will take a couple of minutes to make.

The main dish takes no more than 15 minutes to make.

Ingredients -

Crushed or Powdered Garlic

Chilli

Elver (Baby eel)

Cherry Tomatoes

Half a Glass of white wine

King Prawns (buy the precooked ones)

Directions -

Heat up olive oil and add the crushed garlic and chilli peppers. Once it is heated add cut cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften at a medium flame.

Add the white wine, king prawns and baby eels and cook for a few minutes and voila!!!

The side salad -

Avocado

King prawns

Ketchup and Mayonaise to create the sauce.

Directions -

Take the avocado out by cutting in half and scraping the inside.

Mix Ketchup and mayonaise together and add onto prawns and place on top of avocado.

This dish is simple to do and is really yummy.

Good luck

Anti Crisis Beauty tips - "Waxing"

***

For over 10 years now I have been doing my own hair removal and it has got to the point where I am so obsessed with this that it was time I did a blog post on comparisons and share it.

Most ladies (and now men) like to go to the beauty salon and get themselves pampered or they have a fear of waxing themselves so they go to the centre as its quick and easy, but now that we are in times of crisis, not all of us can afford paying out to get our legs, bikini lines, and underarms done. So why not try a bit of body DIY?
I personally think I have been a total of 5 times to a beauty salon to get waxed, why?
It´s not because I´m cheap, but because whenever I have gone to get my legs waxed or sugared it has never been up to my own standard of perfection. I hate the fact that I have paid 20 € for my legs to be done, to go home and find a little patch that the therapist missed. So as the saying goes, "want a job done, better do it yourself".

So that is the approach I have taken on myself, my boyfriend, family members and friends that don´t mind going under my hands of complete perfection.
A lot of my family members tell me I should take a course on beauty as I seem to enjoy it a lot. My answer to that is, yes I love it, but its a hobby and not a profession I would like to take on.

What I would like to do here is, compare the different methods that can be done at home, which is the most effective in painless hair removal, beauty and lastly but most importantly, in cost!!
***

Shaving / The razor blade -

Firstly I must say about this, my mum, being a Spanish lady she has always been against the shaving method and with great reason, so maybe her influence has rubbed off on me. But I agree with her on this. A lot of ladies shave their own legs, bikini lines and armpits and I although this is
most probably the quickest option, it isn´t one I would ever recommend, for me this is a no go unless it is really, really urgent. I used to shave my underarm but after going on a surprise holiday to Morocco and not having the razor blade to do my underarms in the shower and then having to disguise these thick black hairs I decided enough was enough, I'd rather endure a 30 second pull on the skin with wax or my silk epil and no longer worry about those dark, disgusting hairs popping out.
Shaving makes your leg hairs grow 10 times faster and thicker and if you leave it more than one day it feels like a mans unshaved face. Some girls say this is the best choice as the other options hurt too much or its time consuming, but I think this is just an excuse as waxing doesn´t hurt that much, especially after the first couple of sessions.
***

The Silk Epil -

A lot of people are quite scared of this option, they think this is most painful method, and I must admit, the first time I ever used one of these I wanted to scream the house down. But my mum got me my own silk epil for my birthday and I decided that I had to brave it up, as they say "pain is beauty" and in this case, it really is. My mum has always been so against shaving so it was either waiting for her to take me to get my legs waxed (when I was a teen) or occupying an evening to myself of pampering "DIY".
So I started with the silk epil and I got used to it, it no longer hurt as much and it was quick, but it does seem to coz ingrowing hairs and each time I have used it, the hairs seem to grow faster, although it still takes a few weeks.

Silk Epil and waxing for me have been the best options as the sil epil is about 60€ and lasts years. Wax is also cheap, takes a while for the hairs to grow back and if you want to do it from home you can.

***

Waxing and its many methods

There is no secret to waxing, its just "manning up" to the situation. People that say that this method is too painful is an excuse because they are lazy, like the easy option and can´t be brave pulling out some hairs (unless you have very sensitive skin.)
The Wax Strip -

I dislike this method, although it´s handy as it´s clean, but its expensive for the amount of strips you get in a packet and depending on the strips, they are sometimes not strong enough or the wax sticks more to the skin than the hair to the actual strip. I have tried this method a few times on my underarms and bikini line and I´m not a fan of it.
***
Pots for Upper Lips / Underarms and facial hair -

This method is great for upper lips, facial hairs and underarms. Its less wax to deal with, its quick and strong enough to put on one layer of wax and rip off! Ha ha Sounds painful but I promise you, after your first time it will not hurt so much. Just do it properly. Add the right amount of wax and as you rip it off in one, quickly too, put your hand on the stripped area and your skin will soothe the pain. Pots are really cheap and they are long lasting. You can buy the microwavable pots or the ones you put on your stove. Only problem with waxing these areas is that you have to give yourself time before going out, if not you will be displaying a very red area on your face and if you want to avoid being stared at, its best to dedicate yourself to this when you don´t have a dinner party.
***
Leg Waxing!
You can buy the pots for this, they are cheap to buy. One of my critisims for this is that you heat this in the microwave and by the time you get to your second leg you will have to reheat the wax, which is time consuming and frustrating as you have to wait for it to cool down again, or until you are finished removing all them hairs.
***
And the Winner is (for legs).....

****

...The Portable Hair Removing Wax Machine

I bought myself this machine last year when I was in Italy.

It cost me 12 Euros, which included the machine, 4 wax refills and a huge roll of strips. This was the biggest bargain ever!

The first time I used this, it was a complete disaster. I plugged in the machine and started trying rolling the wax onto my boyfriends skin (he was my guinea pig) and all I managed to do was pull on the hairs and rip them out without needing the wax. My poor bf wanted to kill me, and there was me laughing thinking he was a wimp.

After I realised he wasn´t a wimp but I was doing it wrong. You are meant to leave the machine heating for about 15 minutes and then start rolling the wax onto your skin.

This machine is amazing. It takes me 10 - 15 minutes to wax my legs, its clean, efficient and I promise you, it isn´t painful at all.

The machine rolls the wax onto your legs or chosen area evenly, there is no gloopy bits. You can put the wax all over your legs in one and then start putting the strips and pulling.

What I normally do, is the front part of both my legs and then I unplug it for the back of my legs. That way the wax doesn´t go hard and its extremely comfortable to use.

If you are looking for an option of hair removal, I really recommend this out of all the machines.

I have also now got a new deal on these web sites which have brilliant offers and have started the Photodepilation but I can opinion on it just yet as I still have 5 more sessions to go!

Tonight will be the second time that I visit a Buddist centre with my dear friend in Barcelona.

Why have I decided to go to a Buddist centre?

My friend had told me it was a great place to go, not only to meditate, but to get advice on life which is patronising nor brainwashing. Its thoughts on life, how you should see things so everyday life can´t stress you as much as it does.

The buddist tries to guide you with his noble advice and he tries to lead you to the light or give you knowledge on life.

For many years I have had many doubts on my own religion, I have felt failed from my God and no longer knew what to believe in. Now I feel like I have found my spiritual path. I am not told any stories on the Dalai Lama or their God, I am taught on how to cope on everyday worries that I may have.

We are given time to meditate and I wont lie, that is the hardest struggle I have so far. Everyone sits there and looked relaxed, whereas my mind is on "what shall I cook tonight?". This is my new goal. Learn to meditate and relax and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

Hopefully I will one day find my inner peace and wish that if you ever have doubts or feel really depressed in life to find your place in this World, as we all have one.

Maybe in a few months time I will feel new and refreshed. Ill try and keep you readers posted.

Tonight I hope to leave like this: