Live each day

Live life like everyday can be your last. Live life like there is no tomorrow. Quite a spiritual quote that came to me because of such harsh unpleasant event. I realised this once more last friday when I heard my grandmother was hospitalized. It's already several days later and she still isn't home yet. Some problems with the heart and longs so pretty serious. Events like this put you back on the earth with both feed and make you realize that everyday can be someone's last. Don't squander precious moments, but truly cherish them. This might be the 'docle far niente' I wrote the about earlier. And like I stated yesterday, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I don't believe my grandmother was hospitalized to teach me a leason, but tha fact that it did happen gives me an opportunity to realize that everyday can be your last. Don't just live your life in speed 3, but slow down and enoy those simple things in life. Enjoy the precious time you may spent with special people. They may be out of your life before you know it. It's so easy and obvious to write about this, but is another thing to actually do it. I should do it more! I should live more and be grateful for all those things I do have in my life, instead of moping about the things I don't.

Ciao!

Ixis

life quotes

I do believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it takes a while to find out what that reason is, but I'm convinced that this statement applies to the lives of everyone. You can ask anything of 'life' but it's not going to give you presents. If you are a positive person you attract positive things and if you work hard for some goal, you will eventually achieve it. If not, it is not meant to be, but instead something else along will pop-up along the journey. Have a nice day!

Ciao!

Ixis

spa treatment

A couple of days ago I enjoyed a really great S.P.A. aromatherapy treatment. It's different from a 'regular' beauty treatment because the fragrances used are not perfumes, but pure essential oils from plants which are valued for their healing properties. It is said that these 100% pure essential oils strengthen the force of life of humans, animals and plants. They activate the immune system and restore the balance, through which they strengthen your health, your joy for life and your beauty. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it and that the facial massages helped me to relax in this period of frustration about my master thesis. My 'new' and soft facial skin is of course a nice additional feature!

Cupcakes and buttercream topping!

I love cupcakes! They tast nice, smell nice and look lovely. Last Christmas I got this wonderful book about cupcakes from Janet Smith as a present. Until now I never got to actually making one of the creations which were in there, but now I decided it was about time I finally made one! So I did. I made my own creation as we were out of eggs, but here they are: my very first muffins with vanilla buttercream topping and some decoration on top. Read more for another delicious photo and a recipe!

Truly a cat person

Ever since I was little I liked cats better than dogs. Even though I grew up with both a cat and a dog as pets. I now have 2 cats. A mother and her son. It was so adorable when mother the cat gave birth to 4 little kittens. They really were as fluffy as on the picture above. Three of the kittens found a nice home with other families, but one (the smallest of the four) remained with mama and me. And now, aged 12 and 11 they still are a pair. They have lots of adventures and unfortunately not always ending well. Son for example is kind of silly. He is scared of everything but also very curious at the same time. This ensures some hillarious situations. Mom on the other hand is really lazy and sleeps almost all day. A few weeks ago we lost her. We searched everywhere but couldn't find her. Normally when she is outside she always stays around the house, and at dinner time she's always back. Except that time. So either she was in accident, or she was locked somewhere. Eventually (after an hour or so) I realised I saw some closetdoor being open. And Indeed, she was locked in the closet!

 

Now today I lost her again! She wasn't sleeping in the garden and I had a feeling she was again locked somewhere. I went to the closet she was locked in before, but she wasn't there. Then my dad said he locked the gazebo some time back. I got the key, opened the door and mom the cat came strolling out! It used to be only the little one we had to keep and extra eye on, but it seems that the older they get, the more you need to watch them!

 

Ciao!

Ixis

Slow down and enjoy life

It's so true! Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast, you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. I was standing in the garden the other day and noticed some trees a couple houses further that I never noticed before! There are so many beautiful things around us that you only notice when you just slow down and enjoy life! Life is short and before you know it, you're all grown up.

Ciao!

Ixis

Honey, shall we go again?

Well, a rather strange subject maybe, but one that does occupy my mind. An item of friction in my relationship is the amount of love-making between my boyfriend and me. It happens to be that my boyfriends libido is much higher than mine which often leads to frustrating situations. It's been an issue for some time now, and I am blamed that I'm the weird one in this. I don't know.. I just don't have the urge for sex every time. My boyfriend is really insecure about this, and tries to make up for this by seeking more physical contact. which than has the opposite affect on me which leads me to take more distance. A vicious circle is born and we keep getting stuck in it. I really do feel I am the weird one because of my low libido. Internet does not really comfort me when ready fora and people stating to have sex (almost) everyday. I absolutely love my boyfriend, but I don't feel the need to express this via sex every time. I even started wondering if I'm experiencing asexuality. Sometimes, when I don't want to, and my boyfriend does, I just give in but don't really enjoy it. I don't want this.. I don't want to disappoint my boyfriend, but I also want him to respect my lower libido and don't push it all the time. Well.. what to do about it?

Ciao!

Ixis

Healthy Tan

I like a nice healthy tan on my body and face, but I often don't have the patience to sit in the sun all day and I don't like sunbeds and the higher chances on skin cancer by being too much exposed to the UV-B radiation of the sun. I think everyone knows the picture of this old lady on the beach in a bikini, nice and tan, but having wrinkles and a leathery skin. So, I turned to the self tanner and bought the Louis Widmer selftan.

It's a nurturing cream for the face as well as for the body which simultaneously hydrates the skin. Louis Widmer states that the active ingredient DHA (dihydroxyaceton) colours the upper part of the stratum corneum (hope that that's the right word, and not just a fancy name for it!?). Part of the ingredients include cyclodextrines which gives a natural tone. The colour dissapears after a few days because of the natural exfoliation of the upper skin cells. The cream is pleasant in use and not greasy. It contains vitamine E which protects the skin againts free radicals and it contains Aloë Vera for extra hydratation. The cost for a 100 ml tube is € 15,90. I've used this cream  on my face for a couple of days now and I do see a nice healthy tan without ugly spots. Tis cream indeed is not greasy and in combination with a skin scrub routine a nice supplement for my skin care routine. It does hydrate my face and really makes it soft after a scrub. I'm not so fond of the smell, which is this classic self tanning smell. But it withdraws pretty quick as the cream is absorbed by my skin.

Ciao!
Ixis

Losing weigth without dieting

Salad

Sounds really good doesn't it? Losing weigth without dieting is not so much just about eating. Lot's of other factors play a role. Several facts I read here:

• More sleep causes you to loose weight. Well, actually too less sleep stimulates your appetite, which can lead you to eat more. Next to that, while you are a sleep you don't have time to snack!
• When you start your meal with some soup, you end up eating less. It will decreases your appetite through which you ingest less calories.
• Use a smaller plate. Research showed that you eat more when the food is presented on a big plate. A smaller variant can save up to 100 or 200 calories per meal.

And my personal favourite:

• Eat more slowely. You will enjoy the taste of the food much better and you end up ingesting less calories. It can save you about 1 kilogram per month. Only after 20 minutes your body signs that it's full.

The only thing is that I suck at this last fact. When I'm enjoying something (and as I mentioned here it's mostly candy or potato chips for me) I always eat it as fast as possible. Especially when I'm with my boyfriend and we 'share' a bag of chips I eat really fast, because otherwise I may get less than half! But than it's actually that my boyfriend has to keep up with my eating if he wants to get some potato chips at all. I love the tip about soup. I very much like soup and would like to eat it more often! But then again, I don't want to eat less during the 'regular' meals, I want to get a grip on my snack habbit. This third tip might work, just using a smaller plate. Don't take the entire bag of chips, but just a smaller bowl. Maybe then also a lock on the cabinet the potato chips are in....

Yes, I know myself...

Ciao!

Ixis

Frustration

I am currently working on my master thesis in the social medicine department and all the preparation is nearly finished. The literature has been reviewed, the online questionnaire is almost done and a fellow student and I managed to find two companies which agreed to participate in this research. So, it seemed to go well, until one of the companies decided to become a pain in the ass and started interfering with almost everything in the process. "We decided to change the distribution process and do it like this" I heard from the research company. Well I'm sorry, but that is not possible with the program we are working with. It has already taken over a week and there is still not really a solution for the distribution procedure of the online questionnaire. And this is just one example of all the minor and more major obstacle's I have to deal with. It really frustrates me. 

My classmate and I both work on the same research project, but she is supposed to report on one company and I on the other. And of course the company I'm going to report on is the one in which the most problems are. Of course I do not get my diploma for free, but a break once in a while, or just a positive answer to a new proposal would be very helpful! I think I'm a bit scared that this situation is going to affect me in a negative manner, That maybe my classmate is able to graduate and I am not, due to these difficulties. We have to deal with problems every day, but this time there is much (my master degree) at stake. So hopefully things will work out soon.

Ciao!
Ixis

True Love?

Sometimes I'm wondering how to recognize true love. My boyfriend and I have been together for 5,5 years now and I absolutely enjoy spending time with him. We sometimes have an argument, like every couple has once in a while, but most of the time I feel very loved and secure and really feel I've found a soulmate. I love him and and I really see a future together for us, but how do you know if the person you have found is your true love? I mean, he is my very first serious boyfriend and the first serious relationship I've ever been in. I was 17 when I met him and we started dating, so he kind of is my high school sweetheart. How do you know if this is the person who is meant for you? If you don't know what else is running around this earth, how do you know that the feelings you feel are love? Are those feelings of love and having found a soulmate really feelings of love and having found a soulmate? Or is it just what I make of it, of how I think it should feel? 

At times I think I'm just curious about what else is out there, to see if I'm missing something in this relationship. In order to find out I will have to risk my relationship with my boyfriend and that's not what I want. But then, when everything stays the same I will never know if these feelings are really what they are meant to be... I think it's a question of faith. If you feel happy and confident you just feel that it is, how it is meant to be. I don't know where these thoughts come from, and if they have to mean anything. Can't it just be that I am a curious type of person who is just wondering about the 'what if...'. Or is there is something in my relationship which causes me to have these feelings.

Ciao!

Ixis

The happiness of doing a good deed

Give from your heart

Ever got that feeling of joy and fulfillment when you did a good deed? I had a moment of that the other day, when helping an elderly lady find her way around the trainstation. When I walked towards the station I already saw her standing there, looking around and scanning the people passing by. Probably to pick out a 'decent' person before asking something. When I walked by, I politely smiled and said mornin'. Apparently she felt I was decent enough because she asked me how to buy a ticket to the next trainstation. My train wouldn't arrive the very minute so I helped her out. It just felt so good to help someone who is less familiar with these (in her eyes) modern machines to buy tickets. It's just a small thing, but I felt good about it. And I hope this lady felt good about it too and appreciated my help.

One of the greatest things any of us can do in life is reach out and do a good deed for another human being. Whether it means offering your love and compassion, or making a charitable donation of time, energy, or money, there are many ways to bring sunshine into the lives of others. It was here where I read about 21 ways to do a good deed. Nice ways in which little effort can (hopefully) mean a big deal to someone else.

Ciao!

Ixis



‘Dolce far niente’ part 2

Last week I wrote about ‘dolce far niente’ translated as ‘the sweetness of doing nothing’. This expression is also defined as an attitude, a mindset. The sweetness of doing nothing is about the capability to live your life freely and to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer. I tried it the other day, this ‘dolce far niente’. I took a seat in the garden to enjoy the sun and listen to the signing of the birds. Nothing else, just sitting there enjoying those simple things in life. I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I heard 2 children, coming back from school, passing by on their bikes. I also heard the cover of the waste bin closing with a bang, the neighbor busy talking to her husband, another neighbor, who is probably doing some rebuilding, constantly working with an electric saw, the closing of a car door, another neighbor talking on the phone about the tennis match of her son, and, far away somewhere, there are birds, singing…. Even though I physically wasn’t doing anything, my mind was making extra hours to keep track of all these ancillary matters. Anyway, the sweetness of doing nothing is about the mindset. Enjoying those simple things in life. Maybe I was supposed to enjoy those children passing by (even though they drowned the sound of the birds), enjoy the chattering neighbor and enjoy the noise of the electric saw (which all drowned the sound of the birds for which I got in the garden!). Well… I think I missed the purpose and meaning of the mindset in this first attempt. A little bit more practice is required.

Ciao!

Ixis

One week anniversary

The life span of my blog is little over a week now. On the contrary to the statements in my very first post, I did manage to put up 8 short stories. This comes down to an average of 1 story per day. I really like making these blog posts and I really enjoy writing them. It provides an outlet for things and topics I normally would not say out loud, but it helps to write them down. At moments I'm over-floaded with inspiration, but at other times I have no clue what to write about. Maybe it's because I'd like to update by blog on a regular basis, but I'm lacking one clear theme. Currently my short stories range from my desire to start eating in a more heath manner, to movie wisdoms, and from poems to my very first pair of Birkenstocks. 

During this first week it surprised me to also have had visitors form other countries. I could welcome readers from Germany, Belgium and the United States. Chances are you guys just stumbled upon my blog accidentily. But I'm going to take a try, and write my blog posts in English upcomming week. Since this blog started out of curiosity, I'm curious to find out what a change in language will do.

Ciao!

Ixis

Yummy Strawberries!

Don't they look delicious?!

Mijn vader kweekt ze dit jaar voor het eerst zelf in de tuin. Die overheerlijk, rode, kleine, gespikkelde vruchtjes: aardbeien. Vol trots; de eerste is bijna rijp. Helemaal beschermd staan ze in de tuin, veilig verborgen achter een stuk gaas met een visnetje erboven. Dit zodat hij straks kan genieten van dat eerste exemplaar, en niet de vogels. Dat aardbeien naast lekker ook nog eens gezond zijn las ik hier nog eens. Enkele aardbeien-weetjes:

• 8 aardbeien van gemiddelde grootte bevatten 45 caloriëen en bezorgen je meer vitamine C dan 1 sinaasappel
• aardbeien bevatten vezels en voedingsstoffen die goed zijn voor je algemene gezondheid, kans of hart- en vaatziekten verkleinen en je geheugen verbeteren.

Ik ben al meteen aan het denken op welke manier ik de eerste aardbeien op ga eten. Op z’n Wimbledon’s; dus in een kommetje met suiker en slagroom. Of op een beschuitje. Misschien bewaren en opsparen voor op een zelfgemaakte aardbeientaart, of wellicht toch een milkshake. Ik ben er nog niet helemaal uit. Maar dan, ik heb ook nog even voordat er genoeg aardbeien rijp zijn. Eerst maar eens afwachten hoe die eerste zelfgekweekte aardbei gaat smaken!

I caved...

Ik ben overstag. Tot nu toe heb ik telkens geroepen dat ik ze ontzettend lelijk vind. "Maar ze lopen zo prettig!" kreeg ik altijd als antwoord. Dat moet dan haast wel, als onderhand de hele wereld op die slippers loopt. Daarbij schijnen de slippers ook nog eens goed te zijn voor je voeten. Nu kwam ik ze vandaag tegen in een winkel met flink wat korting en ik ben overstag want heb ze  gekocht. Mijn eerste Birkenstocks. 

Birkenstock Slipper piazza - Ice Pearl Onyx

Dit is 'm dan. Ik heb gekozen voor een metallic grijs-achtige kleur in de ‘teenslipper’ versie.  Het design waarom Birkenstock bekend staat vind ik nog steeds lelijk, maar deze vond ik wel leuk. Tegen een vriendin heb ik altijd geroepen dat ze lelijke slippers heeft. Ik ben benieuwd hoe ze reageert als ze ziet dat ik er nu zelf ook mee loop. Hopelijk lopen ze echt zo fijn als men claimt en blijkt dit geen miskoop te zijn. Aan de aanprijzing van de Birkenstocks zal het in elk geval niet liggen. Er wordt verteld dat de zool van slipper zo is ontworpen dat deze zich helemaal vormt naar je eigen voet. Dit zorgt niet alleen voor een comfortabele pasvorm, maar ook voor ondersteuning aan alle kanten. Je voeten schijnen hierdoor minder snel moe te worden en ze blijven lekker luchtig voor in de zomer. Klinkt positief, en wanneer iets naast een comfortabele pasvorm ook nog eens gezond is voor je voeten, is dat helemaal mooi meegenomen Ik ga ze in ieder geval inlopen, hier thuis, nog voordat mijn vriendin me ermee ziet, zodat ik even de tijd heb me voor te bereiden op haar preek; "Maar je vond mijn slippers zo lelijk!" Ik hoor het haar al zeggen...

Ciao!
Ixis

Be Happy, Eat Healthy

Ik zou graag eens wat gezonder gaan eten. Ik hoef voor mezelf niet af te vallen want ik ben prima op gewicht (hoewel, een iets strakke buik en billen is mooi meegenomen!). Maar ik eet nogal veel dingen die niet echt goed zijn voor je lichaam. 

Fruitsalade

Een koekje hier, chocola daar, dat snoepje ziet er ook wel lekker uit, hmm... misschien nog maar één, of twee en 's avonds meestal vaste prik aan de chips, altijd vergezeld met met wat cola, sinas, 7-up of casis (als er maar suiker in zit). En dan wil ik mijn boterhammen ook nog wel eens beleggen met hagelslag of chocopasta, of een lekker wentelteefje met daarop een laag basterdsuiker en dan nog 2 keer in de week friet. Heerlijk! Maar niet echt de meest gezonde combinaties die er bestaan en niet echt goed voor mijn lichaam.

"Dolce far niente" the sweetness of doing nothing

Misschien zijn er mensen die deze uitdrukking al kenden, maar iedereen die de film 'eat pray love' gezien heeft, is er nu in ieder geval ook bekend mee. 'Dolce far niente' vertaald als 'het zalige nietsdoen'. Heerlijk lijkt me dat! Deze uitdrukking wordt ook wel omschreven als een houding, een mindset. Het zalige nietsdoen gaat om de mogelijkheid om het leven vrij te leven en te genieten van de simpele dingen welke het leven te bieden heeft. Dit klinkt zo mooi en ik wou dat ik het kon. Maar ik kan het niet! Ik kan gewoon niet in de tuin zitten en naar de vogels kijken, ik kan niet op de bank zitten om enkel muziek te luisteren, ik kan niet niets doen. Het lijkt me heerlijk om dat wel te kunnen.

Moederdag

Hoe ouder ik word, hoe meer ik de betekenis achter moederdag begin te waarderen. Het gebaar van waardering naar de persoon die jou op de wereld heeft gezet en (samen met vader) voor je heeft gezorgd en je heeft gemaakt tot wie je bent. Mijn ouder worden heeft voor mijn gevoel de band tussen mij en mijn moeder veranderd. Nog steeds vol liefde, maar anders en minder 'knuffelig' zoals vroeger. Ik zit nu in een stadium in mijn leven waarin ik echt volwassen word. Dit jaar hoop ik af te studeren waarna ik op zoek zal gaan naar een 'echte' baan. Het studentenleven is dan voorbij en het 'huisje-boompje-beestje' van het huis kopen en samenwonen staat voor de deur. De periode van het 'onbezorgde kind zijn' wordt afgesloten en de wijde wereld gaat open. Daar waar menigeen van mijn leeftijd hier juist blij mee is of allang de 'navelstreng' met thuis heeft doorgeknipt, roept dit bij mij gemengde gevoelens op. Het vertrouwde en fijne leven thuis wordt achtergelaten voor een nieuw avontuur. Ook zeker uitdagend, maar toch... De band zoals ik deze nu heb met mijn ouders en de bijbehorende band met 'thuis' zal dan nooit meer hetzelfde zijn. Daarom is moederdag een extra gelegenheid de liefde en genegenheid te tonen. Internet staat vol gedichten en verhalen waarin anderen eenzelfde soort gevoel van liefde omschrijven. Zo omschreef Daantje precies de waardering en liefde waarvan ik wil dat mijn moeder dit ook weet:

Mam,

Jij bent er altijd voor mij

Wat ik ook doe, je steunt mij in alles

Ik ben zo blij dat ik je heb

Dat je mij hebt gemaakt tot wie ik ben

Jij helpt me bij alles in mijn leven

Bij moeiljke keuzes geef je mij altijd advies

Ook al ben ik nu (bijna) volwassen

Je zorgt nog steeds voor mij

Daarom wil je vandaag toch even vertellen

Dat ik zielsveel van je hou!

Lovely Lente!

Roos uit eigen tuin

Van alle seizoenen houd ik het meest van de lente. Het wordt langer licht en de temperatuur gaat omhoog. De natuur komt na een koude winter weer tot leven en de bomen, bloemen en planten staan in bloei. Heerlijk! Ik ben altijd meteen een stuk vrolijker wanneer de zon schijnt en ook mijn 'problemen' lijken dan een stuk minder erg. Ik heb het idee de hele wereld wel aan te kunnen (nou ja, soms dan...). In de lente en de zomer heb ik een positievere kijk op zaken in tegenstelling tot de donkere tijden in de winter. Dan zie ik alles een stuk somberder in. Lente, zonnestralen, een hogere temperatuur en de bloesem van bomen en planten helpt mij te relativeren en in te zien dat 'wat vandaag niet gaat, morgen wel komt'. In ieder geval om een stuk relaxter om te gaan met de wereld. Wat zonnestralen al niet met je kunnen doen!

Ciao!
Ixis

Een gedicht geschreven in een liefdevolle bui

Forever yours
Always mine
That's the way I long to be
You truly are my destiny

Here we are

En dan heb je ook maar eens een blog aangemaakt. Ze schieten als paddestoelen uit de grond en ik ben stiekem toch wel benieuwd waar al die fuss nou allemaal over gaat. Het uitkiezen van de naam was al een hele happening. Dat ik Ixis zou kiezen stond al vast, mijn alter ego naam op het wereld wijde web, maar die domein naam was al bezet. Dan maar iets erbij verzinnen. Maar wat dan? Het moet natuurlijk wel een beetje catchy klinken. Waar wil ik over gaan bloggen? Want dan moet er natuurlijk wel een link zijn met de naam van mijn blog. Ja, waar wil ik over bloggen. Dat had ik misschien eerst moeten bedenken. 'Ixis daily' valt af, aangezien ik hoogstwaarschijnlijk niet dagelijks zal bloggen. 'Ixis life' vind ik zo afgezaagd, net zoals 'It's all about ixis'. Nee, dan gewoon ixis. Om de beschikbaarheid te testen vul ik 'dan ixis' in in het veld waar de website naam moet komen. Hij is nog available. Of misschien toch 'Ixis ideas', heeft ook wel iets. Daar gaat in mijn beleving een blog tenslotte om. Het neerschrijven van je ideeën voor één ieder die er in geïnteresseerd is. Ik tik het in en voilà, klaar. Vraag me niet hoe, maar uiteindelijk heb ik zonder op enter te drukken (of ja, dat zal in het proces toch wel ergens gebeurt zijn) nu een weblog met een naam die afwijkt van het web-adres. Duidelijk een beginner.

Mijn blog staat. Ixis ideas vertegenwoordigt op de website Dan Ixis. Ik heb nog niet echt een idee wat ik ermee ga doen, maar kan nu naast facebook, hyves en linkedin, ook aansluiten in de rij van bloggers. Weet ik ook eens hoe dat voelt.

Ciao!
Ixis