10 things to do while waiting for the summer

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Ilinca

The last days of spring are slowly drifting by and we’re almost ready for the coolest season of the year! Since summer can be pretty tiring and sometimes pesky for our bodies, we’ve prepared a list of 10 things you should to to prepare your body for a relaxing, awesome summer.

  1. Drink water or green tea – this will keep you hydrated and also give you energy and make your skin look great.
  2. Eat fresh fruit and veggies – vitamins are a must before the hot season
  3. Go out and get some sun before it becomes too hot and you’ll be looking for shade all the time
  4. Walk barefoot in the grass. Well, this one you can actually do in the summer as well, but why wait?
  5. Have a picnic. Now is the perfect time since it’s not too hot and the sun isn’t burning as much as it’s going to next month
  6. Plan your vacation. Seaside? Roadtrip? Whatever you do, don’t waste the whole summer at home.  Plan on exploring places, sightseeing and having fun with the ones you love.
  7. Bring your favorite umbrella when it’s cloudy. Because summer rains should never be banished with umbrellas, but spring rains can still be quite chilly.

Have a wonderful end of spring J

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Happy Mother’s Day! Because mothers deserve lots of love.

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Ilinca

May 12th is a special day. It’s special because it’s about the most special persons in our lives – mothers. Take some time today to make your mother, wife, or anyone close to you who has been blessed with the gift of motherhood a small surprise.

Be it a card, flowers, a nice dinner, candy or a small gift of your choice, make them feel loved and appreciated for the amazing job they’re doing at giving life and molding it into wonderful loving and bright little people.

Remember to always treat them like it’s their special day. Because they have the hardest job in the world and that really calls for bowing our heads humbly in the face of nature’s strongest bond.

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Why Mother’s Day is the most important day of the year

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Ilinca

Mother’s Day is exactly 6 days from now and this calls for a bit of reflection. Shouldn’t Mother’s Day be every day? Or at least every month? Shouldn’t these amazing persons with superpowers we call “mom” be celebrated during every waking moment?

Ok, sure, things fade out if we overdo them. Maybe that’s why it’s better to only dedicate one day each year to celebrating the most important women in everyone’s life. Because it needs to be done right, heartfelt, with joy and dedication.

Mothers aren’t always these superhumans, they become so by choosing to give life and to bring new, better people into the world. It’s a sacrifice and a bliss, it’s something you can never go back from, something scary and wonderful at the same time.

Mothers don’t complain, roll their eyes or throw tantrums because they never one put themselves before the well-being of their child. Whoever saw a mom give the last piece of pie to her child knows what we’re talking about.

Mothers do it all and they deserve the kindest, warmest and most sincere “Thank you” one could ever bring oneself to say.

And this is why Mother’s Day is the most important day of the year.

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Welcome May, Cinco de Mayo is near!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Ilinca

It’s a brand new, almost summer month with lots and lots of great things coming towards us.  First we have the fact that summer is one month closer, Cinco de Mayo is a few days away, and then of course there’s Mother’s Day.

But since the first celebration is nearer, let’s remember what happened that made May 5th such an important date in the Mexican calendar. The Day of the Battle of Puebla commemorates the fight for freedom and democracy, as the Mexican army had an unlikely victory against the French, on the 5th of May, 1862. Although heavily outnumbered – the Mexican army had 4000 soldiers while the French army had about 8000, the Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army, then considered “the premier army in the world. This day remains in Mexican history as the most important patriotic holiday, and is also celebrated in the US, as a celebration of Mexican pride and heritage.

Let’s join the fiesta and celebrate the victory of a small and brave army that has freed an entire nation! Arriba!

You can find some great Cinco de Mayo ecards here, to share with friends, family and anyone you want to celebrate with on Facebook!

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Celebrating Book Day

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Ilinca

April 23rd is World Book Day. This means today we celebrate those amazing novels that have shaped our lives and opened our eyes to new worlds. Could you possibly imagine your life without books? Without those enchanting characters you fell in love with or without those moments that have marked your early adult life? Of course not!

In honor of this day, we have compiled a list of the most beloved books of all times – if you haven’t read them all, this list is a good start!

1. Don Quixote - Miguel De Cervantes

2. Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan

3. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

4. Gulliver’s Travels - Jonathan Swift

5. Tom Jones - Henry Fielding

6. Clarissa - Samuel Richardson

7. Tristram Shandy - Laurence Sterne

8. Dangerous Liaisons - Pierre Choderlos De Laclos

9. Emma - Jane Austen

10. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

11. Nightmare Abbey - Thomas Love Peacock

12. The Black Sheep - Honore De Balzac

13. The Charterhouse of Parma - Stendhal

14. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

15. Sybil - Benjamin Disraeli

16. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

17. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

18. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

19. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

20. The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Happy reading! And remember, books can be the most pleasant gifts for anyone!

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10 reasons why mothers are awesome

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Ilinca

With Mother’s Day coming up next month, we really need to start thinking about the most special people in the world: Moms. And what is it about them that needs a lot more credit and praise – not just on Mother’s Day, but on a regular basis. Here’s only ten reasons, but the list could go on and on:

1. They bear and deliver life – seriously, what can be more amazing?

2. They can fix anything. Skinned knees, broken toys, broken hearts, you name it!

3. They are the masters of yummy treats and deliciousness…

4. They turn into designers every year on Halloween and give you a full make-over.

5. They have this amazing capacity to remember every little thing about you – since you were a baby!

6. They forgive and love you unconditionally and that takes bravery, endurance and endless resources of kindness.

7. They never stop worrying about you and that’s something you should always be grateful for

8. The way they smell, like childhood happiness, and home

9. For the way they ask for your help and feel ever so proud when you start to know more about stuff than they did

10. For always being proud, no matter what you do.

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Happy Easter!

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Ilinca

Time to officially embrace the revival of nature and spirit. Happy Easter to you and your wonderful families and friends, may these times build bridges and bring hearts closer together.

 

Remember, this is a time to forgive and strive to become better, to accept that we, as flawed human beings, can only act and love as such. And if the Lord can forgive us, then we need to be able to forgive each other and show love and compassion from here on.

Let this be a time to reflect and rejoice, to feel calm and at peace among the people we feel most at home with.

Wishing you the happiest Easter! Don’t forget to share a warm wish with all those who’ve touched your life in some way…

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Start sharing lovely Easter wishes!

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Ilinca

Only a few days left till Easter! This is a time to relax, reflect on important matters, and show the people around us what we feel.

Easter is the symbol of rebirth, a time to leave mistakes behind, to forgive and admit that flaws should never stand in the way of building bridges between hearts. Rebirth of faith, kindness, of the will to fight for our dreams and to cherish the people in our lives.

Be ready to open up your hearts, do it with no constraint, and everything will feel new again!

 

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Remember Passover and be grateful for all that you have…

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Ilinca

A special holiday is approaching and will be celebrated on the 25th of March. We’re talking about the Passover, a time to remember  the liberation of the Children of Israel from the Egyptian slavery regime. According to the bible, God inflicted ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves.

 

Regardless of our religion, this is a time to be humble, to think of greater things and above all, be grateful for the love that surrounds us. We might be tempted to take freedom for granted, and come Passover, maybe we need to take a moment and think about the fact that 3000 years ago, a tremendous price was paid for it. And open our eyes to the wonderful life we’re given, and enjoy the moment as much as we can.

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Ilinca

May the luck o’the Irish strike you today and never leave your side! Since we only have one day to celebrate, you’d better gather all your family and friends, play some Irish party songs and savor some of that delicious green beer that looks like it’s been made by magical little creatures!

Did you know that this holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late eighteenth century? It’s time to get down with your Irish roots (don’t worry, if you don’t have any you can always fake an Irish accent and pretend to have some, just for the fun of it)!

Join the celebration of the Irish and American culture, on’t forget to take your shamrocks out to the parade, or at least wear something green for good luck and good fortune!

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