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reading time: 2 min


To be honest, I've never been one to celebrate Valentine's Day in any way. I always thought of it as a commercialized, idealized and often overly expensive holiday (kinda like Christmas actually) that basically forces you to buy your loved one at least a dozen red roses, chocolate, and a corny greeting card that affirms your love for each other.

Nowadays I just see it as a little reminder to spend some quality time with your partner, and maybe do something fun and romantic together without having to spend an enormous amount of money to surprise your boyfriend with that helicopter ride or that new watch :) 


40 Budget-Friendly Valentine's Ideas

01. Work out together. You could also try something fun like a mud run or a colour run.

02. Go fruit picking, e.g. apple picking or blueberry picking.

03. Do a karaoke night, either in a bar or at home.

04. Make each other's favourite meal.

05. Take a trip to the beach and go snorkelling together – bring along an underwater camera.

06. Go to a park where you can feed the ducks. Maybe have a picnic afterwards.

07. Go on a road trip to spend quality time together. Bring your PB&Js and play your favourite music to sing along to. (I've always wanted to do a road trip through New Zealand with an inbuilt mattress in the back of the car... sigh)

08. Redecorate or rearrange your flat together.

09. Take a class together, e.g. cooking, dancing, pottery, yoga, boxing, painting, language course...

10. Write a letter/poem/song to your loved one.

11. Take a midnight walk around your neighbourhood.

12. Make a personalized playlist for the two of you or just for your partner. (In our case, we each chose the songs that reminded us of each other or us as a couple separately and then assembled them into one playlist)

13. Take a stroll across the farmers market or a flea market. Or go thrifting or garage sale-ing together.

14. Make a book club for two and share your thoughts on the books.

15. Do acro yoga together, either at home or in a class – so much fun!!

16. Babysit for a friend. Have fun playing hide-and-seek, doing colouring, going to a nearby playground, playing with Play-Doh, or making some fun snacks together such as fruit leather or popcorn. Once the little rascal is in bed, you can make out on the couch – erm, I mean, watch a movie... If you don't have any friends with kids, try dog-sitting! :)

17. (Mom, cover your eyes) Practice Kama Sutra or other new sex positions.

18. Housesit together. If you haven't lived together yet, that's a great way to test out if you are ready to share a home!

19. Pretend you don't know each other, get dressed up, and meet in the bar or at an event to have another "first date".

20. Make each other breakfast in bed.

21. Play strip poker and/or truth or dare.

22. Go camping, or just sleep in a tent in your garden.

23. Grab a thermos bottle with hot tea, coffee, cocoa or wine and watch the sunset (or the sunrise if you're early birds).

24. Take photos of each other. Maybe your social media profile pictures are out of date or you just want some more pretty couple pictures. Maybe also take naked pictures if you're in the mood – don't use them for your social media though lol.

25. Buy the ingredients for you to both make variations of the same dish (or make two different dishes with the same ingredients) and have a cooking competition.

26. Paint a room or a wall together.

27. Create a bucket list with things you'd like to do together (such as travelling, activities etc.). Then talk about it and dream a little.

28. Write love letters to each other, then read them to each other.

29. Have a paint fight – alternatively a water gun, water balloon, or pillow fight – in the garden.

30. Write a piece of fiction together, like a short story, a movie script, or a poem.

31. Leave a sweet sticky note on the bathroom mirror or at the breakfast table for your partner to read when they get up.

32. Print out your favourite photos and turn them into a collage or a memory scrap book. For example, my boyfriend and I have started a photo wall with one picture of the two of us from each vacation, and it's so much fun!

33. Surprise your loved one with a homemade sandwich bag or a packed lunch – how about this super cute owl bag?

34. Compete for who can take the ugliest or most ridiculous selfie.

35. Channel your inner child and go wild with sidewalk chalk. Outline each other's bodies or draw some creative murals.

36. Decorate mugs or breakfast bowls for each other with porcelain pens, like so.

37. Read a book to each other, taking turns reading chapters.

38. Make the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever and eat it together. Here are some ideas to start from: After Eight Ice Cream, Banana Split Ice Cream, Banoffee Pie Ice Cream.

39. Do "dining in the dark" in a dark restaurant where you won't be able to see the food you are eating. That way your taste sense will be heightened, and it's an overall intense and fun experience!

40. Take a romantic bubble bath together: light candles, put on some mellow music, throw in some rose petals or lavender blossoms, and really set the mood.


BONUS: Just say something personal about yourself and open up to your partner :)


♥

Maisy





Another "what my boyfriend and I eat in a week", at least dinner-wise :)


Hey you,

we're back with another Friday Favorites linky party! Actually I almost forgot about it because I'm moving to a different city this week to start my new job next Thursday, and I'm quite preoccupied with packing up my things at the moment. Even though I decluttered and got rid of soooo many things there's still sooo much stuff that I will need in my new flat...! Moving is stressful 😅

But I don't want to complain. I just wish I was even more minimalist! (this video by Madeleine Olivia really inspired me to go through my moving boxes again and cull them even more) 

Speaking of minimalism, these Upcycled Sweater Slippers that Jennifer made are a great way to repurpose old sweaters!

Now, let's get this party started!


Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!


You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!



The weekly meal plans are back again!! Sorry for missing the first calendar week, but like I mentioned before I was recovering from my wisdom teeth removal and couldn't eat anything but smoothies and cold soups so that would have been quite a boring meal plan for you :)


Hey friends,

another week, another Friday Favorites party! This week I'm featuring this lovely Mango Marmalade from Sidewalk Shoes – have you ever heard of mango marmalade before?! Sounds like heaven to me :)

Other than that, I don't have anything interesting to report. I spend my days packing and decluttering for my move in 2 weeks. Yay! But really, it's satisfying to get rid of as many things as possible and travel as light as possible.

Now, let's party!



Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Maisy at Becoming Alice - G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!


You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

reading time: 3 min


Episode 1.

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you may know that I try to incorporate Ayurvedic practices into my daily routine. That includes oil pulling, drinking boiled water, adding turmeric to my morning oatmeal – and using a tongue scraper after brushing my teeth. Sounds scary? Don't worry, it's actually totally pain free and easy to do! 


Tongue scraping is an ancient Ayurvedic method and part of the daily self-care practice to improve oral health and hygiene. Did you know that almost half of our oral bacteria live on and in the deep crevices of our tongue?!

Once you get over the gag-urging feeling of sticking a U-shaped metal piece in your mouth and seeing the gross gunk that was coating your tongue, you will be left with a squeaky clean feeling tongue and a fresh taste in your mouth :)


reading time: 1 min


Guys, I'm back with another recipe post! Good news: I can chew again! Lol. After not being able to eat anything but smoothies and soups due to my wisdom teeth removal, I'm sooo glad that I can almost eat normal again! Hooray!

To celebrate, I've got one of my favourite sort of breakfast at the moment for you: triple grain porridge that is vegan and gluten-free. Enjoy!


IT'S PARTY TIME!

For this round of Friday Favorites I picked these delicious looking sunbutter cookies from Bites of Wellness that are not only vegan, but also gluten free and overall grain free! They are the perfect snack to keep your energy high throughout the day without reaching for something unhealthy.

Speaking of healthy snacking, I also want to share this amazing recipe for the healthiest bread in the world with you that is also vegan, gluten free and technically grain free. Cool, eh? Since getting my wisdom teeth removed last Friday, I still can't chew, but that doesn't keep me from coming up with meal plans for once I can eat properly again – Shannon from Aka Design shares her tips on how to plan a week's worth of meals, as well as getting an organized pantry which is especially great if you want to do a New Years clear-out this month!



Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!


You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

reading time: 5 min


The new year has just begun, and one of my resolutions for 2018 has been to take minimalism and zero waste more seriously. While I don't think it's realistic for me to go completely zero waste (mostly because organic produce is usually wrapped in plastic here in Germany), I do try to limit my waste where ever possible. The motto I follow is this:

REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE.

As easy as this sounds, it can be quite a challenge to stick to these 3 simple Rs. Refuse what you do not need, reduce what you do need, and reuse what you consume. 

When it comes to reusing, I'm quite good at that already. As you can see in my pantry decluttering post I always use empty jam and pickle jars to store my dry goods. I also use them as water bottles, to hold my homemade smoothies, or my breakfast oatmeal when I'm on the go. Heck, I even use them as vases! I therefore don't buy any plastic bottles or other disposable containers. When I do buy something like a juice in a plastic bottle, I always make sure to reuse it as often as possible before throwing it away. Here are some other products I always reuse:

- plastic bags to transport moist or delicate produce such as fruit (I use them as trash bags for my residual waste – which by the way I also try to reduce by using a menstrual cup instead of tampons, or using washable handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues)
- grocery bags from my room mates (I use cloth bags instead) that I also reuse as trash bags
- wrapping paper that is still wrinkle free and good to use
- bakery paper bags – I mean, why would I throw that away only because it has some breadcrumbs in it?! I've reused my several times now!
- travel size containers that I refill instead of throwing them away and buying new ones for the next journey
- tea bag sleeves that can be reused for tampon disposal (yup)
- disposable cutlery on flights – I either bring my own disposable cutlery from another flight, and/or I reuse the cutlery on other occasions such as picnics, parties, train rides etc.
- pots! and other kitchen utensils – when ever I cook or bake I try to make the most of the utensils I've already used before cleaning them
- empty and cleaned tins that can be turned into planters, or used to hold pencils, cosmetic brushes, or kitchen tools
- old t-shirts, ripped sheets, ragged towels, stained tablecloths or ugly pillow cases that can be re-purpose as dust covers, cleaning rags, to wash the car or to dry off the dog
- empty and cleaned cosmetic containers that I reuse to store my homemade deodorants, lip balms, body scrubs etc
...


When you start reusing things, it will become easier to reduce things as well because you won't re-buy as much as you used to! For example, I don't buy cotton pads any more because I use reusable, washable cotton pads and facecloths. I also don't buy as many beauty products any more because I now make scrubs, deodorants, balms and even toothpaste myself. Coconut oil, for instance, is my favourite multi-purpose beauty product that works as a skin moisturiser, body butter, hair oil, make up remover, oil pulling substance, toothpaste base, butter substitute, lip balm, lubricant, shaving cream, massage oil, foot rub, and much, much more. 

Before making purchases, ask yourself if you really need this item. Cut down on your consumption of goods that contain excessive plastic packaging and parts. If it will leave behind plastic trash, don't buy it. Instead, find a more eco-friendly alternative, such as listed above!

Lastly, the most difficult step for me is to refuse. This is the most difficult because it often collides with our "take anything that's free" mentality. Whether it's a leaflet that you don't really need but take because you feel forced to do to, a free sample at a drug store, a hotel freebie, or even a straw in your drink at a restaurant – learn to say no! I was always one to take anything that's free just because it was for free. As a result, I accumulated way too many things that I didn't even need or want in the first place. Now, whenever I get offered something for free, such as a voucher for something I'm not really interested in, I ask myself: Do I really need this? Do I want this? Would I buy this if it wasn't for free? If the answer is no, I let it go. These freebies are usually low quality and cheap anyway!

Other things I don't use or buy any longer (but use multi-purpose or re-usable alternatives instead) are paper towels, cling film, tin foil, bottled water (use an at home water filter instead), muffin paper liners (simply grease your muffin tray), disposable razors (I use my old electric shaver & epilator)... Using eco-friendly, zero-waste options such as cotton towels, glass containers, stainless steel boxes, will not only help the environment but also save you a ton of money!


Also, try to resist the temptation to buy processed, oven-ready meals. Instead, make it a habit to cook at home with as many plastic free ingredients as possible. That way you will not only save money, but also know exactly what's in your meal! Same goes for party snacks, or travel snacks. Instead of buying more or less unhealthy and relatively expensive packaged food, make your own snacks such as granola bars, smoothies, brownies, energy balls, dips, pastries etc.

The moral of the story is: Don't buy (or accept) something unless you actually NEED it! And what you do buy or have, use to its full potential before getting rid of it (I don't support throwing away any disposable plastic items just to replace them with zero waste alternatives – that way you create so much unnecessary waste). Invest in durable, non-toxic straws, utensils, to-go containers, bottles, bags, and other everyday items. Choose glass, paper, stainless steel, wood, ceramic and bamboo over plastic. When ever you are about to purchase or accept something from now on, go through your 3 Rs and ask yourself whether you could refuse, reduce or reuse this object.

Recycle what you can't refuse, reduce or reuse. And if things break, repair them or have them instead of throwing them away and buying a new one.

Of course, nobody is perfect, and we don't have to be perfect! Just do your best, and try to encourage others to do the same :)


♥

Maisy


reading time: 1 min


Okay ladies, if that time of the month has you down, how about a creamy chocolate milk to pick you up? I call this the "PMS Smoothie" due to its highly antioxidant and hormone balancing ingredients. As I already explained in my period essentials post, ginger, dark chocolate and maca powder are some of the most powerful natural remedies for PMS symptoms. 

Ginger is a well known remedy to help relieve cramps and significantly reduce menstrual pain. It also provides the body with soothing warmth.

Cacao is high in magnesium, which can help combat moodiness, promote calmness, and relax tense muscles. (Interesting fact: the reason women typically crave chocolate around the time of menstruation is because of low magnesium levels!)

Maca is considered a superfood for its ability to support healthy hormone balance, increased energy levels, and a healthy response to stress.


This smoothie contains about
11 g of protein
7.6 g of healthy fat
57 mg of vitamin C
2.5 mg of vitamin E
1.4 mg of vitamin B6
6.1 mg of iron
1.2 mg of zinc
173 mg of magnesium
1778 mg of potassium
136 mg of calcium
and 140 mg of phosphor.


For a hint of seasonal spice, I also added a touch of cinnamon, which actually ranks #1 in terms of its protective antioxidant levels and has been used for years to help get relief from digestive cramps, including cramps during menstruation. Plus, it makes anything taste like Christmas :)



IT'S PARTY TIME!


Welcome to the first Friday Favorites party of 2018 – I hope you all had a smooth transition into the new year! I'm glad to say that our hostess Jerri is also back from her pregnancy break, so our linky party is back to normal :) 

I guess I'm not the only one who is determined to incorporate more workouts and healthy meals into my everyday routine 😉 Hence my pick for this week being the free printable fitness and food planner from Camille over at Growing Up Gabel. Whether you want to drink more water, cut out the junk food, or get in some more cardio, let's not forget to take it slow. Most people fail with their resolutions because they put too much pressure on themselves.

LET'S PARTY!
 

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!


You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

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THIS IS ME

Well, hello! My name is Maisy (pronounce: macy) and I’m the creative spirit behind this blog. You are welcome to join me on my journey to a more natural, slow-paced & healthier life!

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TRENDING THIS MONTH

  • How To Marie Kondo Your Life (and not just your stuff)
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  • DIY Easy Electroculture Plant Antenna
  • Ayurvedic Breakfast Porridge (+ the best granola topping ever!)
  • Healthy Banana Split Brownies (vegan)

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