Bath, blankets, bonding and books

Things that help us welcome the cool weather...

because there's no place like home.

xoxo Natasha

Coffee, Cake, Cuddles & Candles -FALL

Now is the time for ...

xoxo Natasha

Pump up the volume

When everyone is going sleek... Pump up the volume with some texture and waves! Luscious hair always makes me feel more attractive.
This look can be achieved by using round brush while blow-drying the hair. You can also us a flat iron to make subtle waves and then toss your hair and use some hair spray to help it keep its volume.

If i am in a rush, i can get a similar look by applying a volumes hair mouse on damp hair and blow drying upward with a diffuser.

xoxo Natasha

Short dress/Long sweaters and knee length boots

This is my personal favorite and all time go to look...

5 Ideas to make the most of the New Year

Let me start this post by wishing you a Happy 2016!

Inspired by the New Year, here are a few cute ideas to make the most of the next 365 days...

1. A Year of Dates! 

365 degree turn around

This time last year a lot was so different! I was not even pregnant never mind a mom and we were living in a different apartment. But from then until now, feels like a whirlwind of events... From finding out i was pregnant in February and announcing it to my family on my sisters 32nd birthday to making the decision at 7 months of pregnancy to move homes from the city to the village.  To have been hit with a curve-ball when i got the phone call in October that my younger brother was in a horrible accident which landed him in a comatose state and hospitalized for what we thought would be for a very long time and the fear of loosing him or he having severe brain damage. In November it was time to leave my brother to give birth to my baby boy, while the rest of my family struggled at my brothers bed side.

If anything, 2015 has taught my family and i a series of lessons. 

6 ways to make people like you

According to Dale Carnegie's Book "How to win friends and influence people" there is six principles to making people like you...

4 Reasons to say No

It seems like our lives have become packed with responsibilities and chores without enough time to do everything we have to or want to. When we were young children we seemed to be happier and given the chance to go back and be a child again, most adults would jump to the opportunity. But time travel is not quite possible (yet) and therefore not our best option. What has changed since then? You probably have filled your life with responsibilities and a full schedule that leaves little time to actually enjoy your life. Overwhelming oneself is a very common phenomenon in our day and age. We just take on to much for our given 24 hours a day and end up feeling exhausted and sometimes even unhappy with the lifestyle we lead.

Let Go and Communicate

We all have our backgrounds from which we come from, situations in the past which have shaped us and lessons we have learnt from. A common mistake most of us make is to carry our past on our shoulders and take it with us wherever we go. This habit is usually one of the big reasons we find it difficult to lead happy lives. We allow our previous experiences to determine who we are today and the fear of making past mistakes to prohibit us from moving forward.

   

The importance of a Smile

Everyone wants to leave a mark in this world and maybe even make a change. What we do not realize is that we are able to make a difference with a small action that will create a large impact; Actions speak louder than words and a simple heartfelt Smile says, 'I am happy to meet you or see you again, I like you, I enjoy your company. You make me happy.

3 Secrets to a Healthy Relationship

On a daily bases we tend to make mistakes that can make us seem less friendly or even unapproachable to others. These mistakes come from our human nature and it will take a little effort to avoid making such mistakes over and over again. The secret it that these mistakes just like "bad habits" are the cause of a lot of damage; in this case it affects our relationships no matter if they are friendships, romantic relationships or even business related.

16 weeks pregnant - What to expect

16 weeks pregnant and 1 day (Thanks to "The Bump" app i have been able to keep up)

What i have noticed...

Tummy has started to grow. 

Finally looks like a baby bump. Wearing my per-pregnancy clothes  has become a little difficult especially when it comes to trousers and jeans. Walking around with my pants unbuttoned and a long top to disguise it is just a quick fix. 

I was lucky enough to discover the " Helping Hands Store" in protara last week end.

Not only are they a store that provides financial aid to animals that are in need but they also carry a variety of second hand merchandise including clothes. Some of the clothes i found even still had the tags on and seemed to never have been worn. So in total i managed to find 3 trousers, 4 tops and  2 shirts for my hubby at the total of €35.00. And to top it off, the feeling that the money i spent was going to a good cause was even better.

Pregnancy Brain.

I am not sure if pregnancy brain is a myth or not; but it does seem like i have not been able to keep note of things that came easy to me in the past. Now, if i want to remember a specific date i will have to write it down, something i did not have to do before. Also on Saturday when i was at the "Helping Hands Store" i forgot my mobile phone in the dressing room. By the time i realized that my phone was missing,  the store was already closed. Thank goodness we were the last customers in the store and when we contacted the management of the store by phone, they were very understanding and helpful to open up for us. So there you have it... Pregnancy Brain can be a little embarrassing!

Bathroom breaks.

Bathroom breaks have become very frequent and i  have been waking up twice a night to empty my bladder. During the day i have noticed that i pee once every hour... sometimes even more often if i have has a large beverage or eaten watermelon which i have made a once a day thing.

Weight.

Before falling pregnant i was 55kg and 16 weeks in to the pregnancy i am now 58kg. My breasts have already grown what seems to be about 3 sizes and i can see a noticeable difference around my thighs. My eating habits have not changed much since before i was pregnant although i used to skip breakfast during working days due to my schedule (i know... breakfast is the most important meal of the day!) but now my tummy rumbles if i don't have a small sandwich around 9:30 every morning.

Niceness.

Now that we have told people about our pregnancy, i have noticed that people tend to have a more positive attitude toward me and are noticeably nicer. This was quite surprising to me because even some people from work who usually are grumpy and lets just be honest usually rude; Seem to be making the effort to be a little more pleasant around me. What a nice bonus! I must say that this is something i will miss when everything gets back to its old usual ways.

Headaches.

During my day at the office i have been getting headaches; almost on a daily basis. I believe that it is due to the many hours spend looking at the computer screen. And as my eyes fall tire the headache sets in. I have not yet mentioned this to my doctor but plan to do so on our next appointment. Although i have been trying to avoid taking medication i have needed on some occasions to take Paracetamol to find some releif.

  

So there you have it... This is my 16 week pregnancy experience.  

Overall i consider my self lucky as i have had a good pregnancy up to now. I do hope everything continues smoothly and i must admit that i do get a little stressed just by thinking of the things that might go wrong. Nevertheless, i try to brush these type of thought away and focus on the more possitive and exiting side of the whole experience.

Foods to Avoid during pregnancy - Keeping Sane and Healthy

I am in my 4th week of pregnancy and i am starting to get nervous...

Unfortunately i have been hearing a lot of cases where woman have lost their babies at this early stage and i can't help it from not affecting me.

I have had nightmares about bleeding and every little pain or cramp gets me very worked up.

I just want my first doctors appointment that is booked for the 16th of March to come fast. It was a mission to book an appointment with the doctor who i would like to be going to throughout the pregnancy. And the 16th was the earliest they could convenience me. Estimated that by then i will be entering my 6th week of pregnancy.

Writing in this blog actually helps me keep sane... As i have not told friends and broad family yet about my pregnancy writing makes me feel like there is someone to talk to.

Throughout the day i try to think of only the positive side of things and eat healthy. I have been avoiding picking up weights and have changed my morning coffee from regular to decaf. 

I have not yet seen any difference in weight and actually my food portions are a little less than what they were a month ago. Not that i am trying to eat less, but i have been feeling that smaller portions more frequently feels more comfortable and leaves me feeling less bloated.

Here are some FOODS that you should AVOID when pregnant:

Maternity cuteness

Stumbled on this cute maternity shot idea and just needed to post it...

Aren't they just so cute?...

Maternity Shoot

So i wanted to take some cute shots of my sister before she gave birth to her second baby. Both my sister as well as her hubby were keen, so we got snapping one afternoon in their own home.

A photo shoot like this is a good idea if you do not want to leave the comfort of your own home and also helps by saving on a professional photographer.

Celebrity Baby Bumps

Here are a few of our favorite Celebrities Baby Bump looks:

Preparing for life with a newborn

What you need to known about preparing for life with a newborn:

Nursing Bras: You may not know this now but you will need at least four nursing bras. Less than four and you will end up hand-washing them all the time.

What's going on at 36 weeks of pregnancy

I have not posted in a while due to some hectic events... We decided to move!!! Yes, move during my 33rd-34th week of pregnancy. I am glad though that we decided to do it then and not now during my 36th week. It would be almost impossible to pack all those boxes and move around now. Even driving has become a bit uncomfortable with all the humps and bumps in the roads.

At 36 weeks of pregnancy: i have officially reached 70kg making my total weight gain 15kg.

Baby is 2.800g (almost 3kg)

Doctors appointment was on the 7th of the month and the next will be on the 23rd. After that i will be visiting the Doc once every week.

Baby is moving loads and we can see a foot now and then poking on the side of my tummy :) Movement is most frequent when i am in the car, after a meal or resting.

We are still keeping the gender a surprise; 

so for now we are calling the baby "Baby" or "Jigglyputff "

 

or "Doof doof "(because that's the sound of the baby's heart beat).

Essentials for a New Baby

Here is a list of what you Really will need.

(The most essential and basic)

Baby Clothing:

• 8 Undershirts (especially if you having a winter baby)
• 8 one piece pajamas
• 8 pears of socks or booties (booties fall of easily so i prefer socks)
• 3 hats
• 1-3 dress-up outfits
• Loads of Diapers (we call them nappies) 

My Sunshine themed Baby Shower

At 37 weeks of pregnancy i was pampered, surprised and spoiled by my sister and my loved ones with a beautiful baby shower.

The theme of the shower was Sunshine and my sister went all out; from food to gifts to dipper cakes (nappy cakes), sunflowers and DIY's...

Oh! she even had me dressed in a custom made dress that made me look like a ray of sunshine ;)

The location was at  Breakfast at Teafunny's on Limassol Avenue in Nicosia. All the staff were super helpful, attentive and sweet. We all had a blast!!!

Here are a few images i can share with you:

Baby Boy - First experience as a mother - Breastfeeding

We had a Baby Boy!!!
Its been two weeks now that God has Blessed us with such a beautiful soul.
My husband and i are now proud parents of our son who we named Mario after my father.

Preparing your Dog for a new Baby

We have had our Baby Boy home for two weeks now; but have been preparing our Lab Hugo for the Baby's arrival for quite a while now.

Breastfeeding - 5 things you should know

I am currently breastfeeding my 3 week old baby boy and am so glad to have these 5 things in mind...

Baby Boy Christening - Theme Beach, Sea, Ocean

Summer is around the corner and this means that the time to Christen (Baptize) our little baby boy is coming up.

We have booked the date and the venue for the 11th of June. 

I would like to take this opportunity to show you the venue we have chosen as i am very exited to plan the Christening at LA MAISON VRACHOS.

This venue has both indoor and outdoor facilities and it is perfect for high summer temperatures as the indoor is fully air-conditioned, well looked after and every detail is given attention to. The menu is a full dinning experience with a large variety of main dishes as well as deserts.

The staff is very friendly and willing to help, the owner Mr. Vrachimis is not only a very good business man; attending to his customers needs personally but also very approachable and easy to communicate with.

So here are a few pictures just to get the idea of the location:

5 ways to get ready for Baby's 1st Christmas

We are getting ready for baby's first Christmas and even though he is still to small to recall we hope to make this holiday as special for him as he has made it for us...

1.Take some pictures for the memories:
Even though baby is to small to remember it will be super cool to look back and show him how tiny he actually was.

First Born - Middle Born - Last Born - Only Child

Find out the traits and characteristics of siblings...

FIRST BORN

First borns are natural leaders. They frequently live with a sense of entitlement and even superiority. However, they often come in two "flavors" complaint nurturers  / caregivers or aggressive movers and shakers. As a rule, first borns are picky, precise people. Their attention to detail and order explains why accountants are overwhelmingly first born- they they love paying attention to small details. If you marry a first born, you're going to have some challenges in your relationship with them. First borns like to take charge. They are goal oriented, what complete control, and need to earn their keeps. They also have a strong desire to win. On the negative side, first borns are often moody and occasionally lack sensitivity. They can be intimidating, particularly by pushing people too hard or refusing to take no for an answer. They tend to be bossy, flaw pickers, and conscientious to a fault.

4 Myths about Breastfeeding- 4ης Μύθοι για τον Θηλάσμο.

As a breastfeeding mom, everyone will be eager to share with you some of their "helpful" advice. Within this advice it is very possible that you might stumble upon one of the bellow myths. Don't allow the bellow to confuse you./

Ως θηλάζουσα μητέρα, όλοι θα έχουν μια "χρήσιμη" συμβουλή να σας δώσουν. Στα πλαίσια αυτά, μπορεί να ακούσετε και κάποιους μύθους. Μην τους επιτρέψετε να σας συνχύσουν. 

Stay at home mom for 4 months #maternity

Well this week I am computerless! Yep!!! After 7 years my Lap top had a little bit of a breakdown. I am quite surprised it lasted this long cause I literally have draged my lap top everywhere. University, Oversea trips, The Beach etc and at one stage of my life my PC was my best companion and friend; 

Oh well! I know I should just get a new one but I am giving my old friend a second chance and trying to get it repaired.

In the meantime I will give writing a post from my iPhone a go! 

So since I came home from giving birth in November,baby boy and I have spent quite some time home alone. Sadly this precious time is almost over and soon I will have to get back to the office and leave my baby with Yiayia (grandmother).

Personally I feel so lucky to have my mom help out even if it is just for a couple of months for my baby to hit 6 months before we start thinking of taking him out in to the real world (daycare and interacting with strangers). So let me take this opportunity to thank my mom for this great gift X

Thank you mama Mou for providing the care that I wish I could, for my baby boy while I am not able to. Thank you for the unconditional love you give us both xxx

On another note here are a few of the best times we have had these past 4 and 1/2 months...

Before you arrived

4 reasons Not to know the Gender of your Baby

Last night before bed time we picked up the subject again now knowing that we are pregnant. It has been decided... We will wait until the birth day to find out the sex of the baby :)

I know this is not very convenient for a lot of people, but here are 4 reasons it works for us:

5 Steps to getting back into your jeans

So... i have about 15-20 pairs of jeans in my wardrobe; and yes, i love them all!
Trouble is after 9 months of pregnancy and 3 weeks of breastfeeding, none of my beloved jeans actually fit :(

Therefore i decided that its time to get back in to shape (without affecting the quality and quantity of my breast-milk). My current weight is 62 kg and my goal weight is 55 kg. And these are the 5 steps i plan on following to get there...

Our Family Trip to Portugal

It has a while since our return home from our vacation to Portugal. I must admit, i believed that i would have started this post 3 weeks ago! But here are my excuses... Baby, house work, office work blah blah blah.

It's going to be crazy! - We have booked our first overseas trip

We have started the count down for July the 8th, 2016.

This is our departure date with destination Lisbon/Portugal.

20 things to pack when traveling with baby

As our summer holiday is coming up in the beginning on July and this will be our first trip traveling with a baby (8 month old) i thought i would prepare a list with our little-one's necessities.

Trying to keep within the golden rule of traveling light, here are the belongings that have made the list:

12 things to tackle 1 Week before locking up

Would it not be great if we could miraculously have everything ready and dealt with on the day we leave? Unfortunately things will not get done if you do not do them. So with one week ahead of us, here is a list to help us get from pending to done!

5 Tips for easy Traveling with baby

We spent the full of Friday traveling. It took us 2 planes but we are finally in Lisbon!

I was nervous that baby Mario was going to be miserable during the flyghts, but luckily even when he was up and about he stayed most of the time in good spirits.

This is us at Larnaca airport before our first diparture. 

Here are a few tips I learned along the way:

Meet Our Family

Hello fellow adventurers!

I am very proud to be part of our little family and hope that you will enjoy reading up on what we are up to. We hope that this blog will be the beginning of many exiting adventures for our family to share with you.

Use All Your Senses

I remember the smell of fresh coffee even though i did not drink coffee at the time. Every morning in the tropical weather of Angola my grandmother would have a pot of coffee on the stove. And as the steam flew from the kitchen to the rest of the house it would wake us up like a sweet alarm clock. The smell was truly a temptation and i remember tasting a "Galão" for the first time. It was aromatic, sweet and the kick of the fresh coffee had me jumping off the walls.

When you were in my tummy

I was trying to remember what it felt like when you were in my tummy...
At first it was just a little twitch, and i would wonder if it was you starting to move or maybe just my body playing tricks on me.
Slowly you got stronger and bigger and there was no more doubt that you were learning to move your arms and legs. I would look forward to those moments and sit up starring at my tummy.

Make Friends

Find people that make you laugh; Who are easy to talk to and who make the silence comfortable. These are the people who you choose to spend your time with. These are the people you will call friends.

Believe it

Many Sundays have come and gone without me sitting in a church seat.

Does this make me a sinner?  

I have never been one to think that if i am not in church God can't hear me. Besides, my belief does not lay in the 4 walls of the church but in the love that God has for all people no matter where we are.

I can not call myself a religious person as i do not follow all the churches rules and regulations. Nevertheless i do have faith and i want to believe that my faith is what brings me closer to God. Although i have been baptized and my wedding did take place in church, i can not say that i am a frequent visitor to the alter.
I do visit church now and then. Sometimes just to look at the the beauty of the "house of God" sometimes to send out a prayer, sometimes to ask for help and not often as i should to show gratitude.

Treze de maio-letra

In this song the faith of my father grows...

Scrabble Coasters

I have been wanting to make a few DIY projects to not only save some cash but also add some character to our home. 

DIY Building Blocks for Nurcery

Started preparing the baby's room yesterday...

As we do not know our baby's gender we are keeping it gender neutral but colorful.

Breakfast Treat: French Toast with Honey & Cinnamon

This week end was full of Breakfast Treats.

Saturday morning started with French Toast with Honey & Cinnamon; simple and easy but nevertheless delicious.

French Toast with Honey & Cinnamon

Ingredience:
6x slices of bread (of your choice)
4x large eggs
1x tablespoon of milk
sprinkle of cinammon
Table spoon of butter or cooking vegetable oil
honey as much as needed
1x non stick pan

 

Feta Spinach pie - Greek style

Hi there!
So i have been in the kitchen yesterday and made my Feta-Spinach pie (Greek Style).
I must say that it came out quite good and it was not difficult to make at all.

Personality traits according to your Zodiac that can help your career

A persons star sigh is an indicator of various aspects of their personalities, and while we often focus on what this means in a personal capacity, your career choice can also be determined by your zodiac sign. Discover traits of various signs and see what careers best fit your personality.

AQUARIUS

Give a Little Love

It is quite easy to get lost in to our day to day responsibilities and end up spending less time with our partner. This is just one of the reasons that most people find themselves feeling neglected at some stage in their romantic relationships. With all our running around, who has time for romance?

Lion King theme Party

For the upcoming Christening this week end we have prepared some invitations and some other printable goods that compliment the Lion King theme...

Business Cards for Holistic Massage Therapy

 So after a full year of training, practicing, studying, working on study cases and cramming for exams... I am proud to be a ITEC qualified Holistic Massage Therapist.

 (last bed on the left ;p)

And with the excitement to share my knowledge and skills of  touch, healing and rehabilitation i have created my new cards that i would like to share with you.

Depression and Self-Help

Depression has become a very common disorder in our day and age.

It is most likely that you or a loved one has gone through depression or has experienced depression symptoms at some point in their life. Depression varies from mild cases to very severe cases but every case does hold some of these common symptoms:

• A sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
• Always talking or thinking about death
• Clinical depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating) that gets worse
• Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving through red lights
• Losing interest in things one used to care about
• Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
• Saying things like "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
• Talking about suicide
• Visiting or calling people one cares about

NUTELLA BRAIDED TEAR AND SHARE BREAD

Found this video for  NUTELLA BRAIDED TEAR AND SHARE BREAD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwvYmBo_bN4&feature=youtu.be

We have tried and tested this recipe and its delicious in every way.

Here are our before and afters: