Spring fever

Last weekend we enjoyed our last moment at the beach together with our dog Brinta (yes- she is named after the Dutch breakfast brand). From April 1 to October dogs are here in Holland not allowed at the beach because of the breeding season and the tourists. It is a pitty but on the other hand we  appreciated it now even more. Brinta went totally crazy; there is almost nothing better in life than watching my dog run for the sheer joy of running.    

Ears & tongue flying, hearts soaring.  

Afterwards, she was exhausted and very sweet (that is also nice when you live in the city like us & do not have a garden)!

Zen time

 

Sunday morning view

Taking a hot bath

getting at mind- body connection.

 

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Made in Holland

 Tas-Ka

 My favorite shop in my own home town (Dordrecht); galerie-intermezzo

Contemporary design- many Dutch designers- mixed with vintage. 

When i visit this galerie i always come home full of cheer, with sparkling ideas for redecorating. So if you are in the neighbourhood: come and have a look!

LunchSkins

 LunchSkins

a food-safe, dishwasher-friendly, moderately-attractive reusable bag

Fully immersed in work, but at least taking care of myself and the environment. 

Incredibly stylish!

  

Colour inspiration: Old tile in Namur (Belgium)

Favorite moment of the Day

With the promise of a whole new day ahead, breakfast is my favorite moment of the day. Most of the time I like to keep it simple; fresh fruit, organic food and fairtrade coffee. This morning we had organic Cranberry Yogurt with dried cranberries. A delicious combination!
Although i am a big believer in starting the day with a good breakfast, i do not have the habit of starting my working day with a good breakfast. For me, breakfast on work days usually consists of eating an apple in the train. On weekends, having breakfast together is almost a Holy Happening: we take time preparing breakfast and sit together at the table for more than a hour. We listen to Early Birds (our favorite weekend show on the radio about nature), make plans for the day and discuss newspaper articles. Love this quality time together, i call it our "attachment moment".

Last week i found this inspiring blog about the art of breakfast. I added it directly to my bloglist because of the BIUTIFUL PHOTOS, thanx for sharing Jennifer Causey!
 

Yummi scones

 

Lazy saterday brunch at Villa Augustus

After a crazy week at work

No weekend plans at all

That is exactly what i need right now

Wish you all a

Happy Weekend!

Vegalicious!

It is almost an miracle, but my "own carnivore" (my love) is thinking about eating no more meat. Inspired by the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (published in 2009), he is now doing research about alternative ways to eat meat, exploring options that does not cause unnecessary harm to animals and respects environmental ethics. In the meanwhile he does not eat meat.

Eating animals is said to be a detailed piece of journalism in which Safran Foer explores topics of factory farming and commercial fisheries (i have not yet read it). After reading you know what eating meat means, and how eating animal pollutes your beliefs.

So now i am looking for new Vegalicious recipes, looking forward to develope together a new lifestyle. Just found this inspiring website, beautiful photos of yummy food!

Mindful ingredient's

Every day i try to put a mindful ingredient into life, derived from the 7 principles of Mindfulness:

1. mildness / non-judging

2. patience

3. beginner's mind

4. trust

5. non- striving

6. acceptance

7. non-attachment

 

This little hand-made birdy keeps me in the moment. It is one out of 5, made by my mom- she got inspirered by Geninne

Every now and then mom deliveres an other little friend, just in an other color, different shape or with a sligthly different stich. I do not know how she does it ( do not know how to sew on a button), but this little friend is now part of my morning ritual. 

When i wake up I touch the birdie and welcome the day. Then i try to listen to my feelings and bodily sensations,  so this way i can learn to take care of myself during the day. Sometimes i learn that my body feels sour and heavy, or that my head is filled with cotton-wool. That is a sign that i need to slow down a bit, and make it myself more comfortable this day. 

Then the second challenge is taking a shower:

let the warm water wake me up, just feel the water and take a couples deep breathes. Most of the time,

 I find it quite difficult to surrender to this moment because my mind has started rattling yet. My to do list is immediately there. So for me, there is still a lot to learn.

 

How do you that? Do you have a morning ritual or any good practices to share? I really would like to read about it, so feel whelcome to leave a comment.