Simple Ways To Boost Your Energy

We all know the feeling.. That feeling of our eyelids sagging as the afternoon wears on. That feeling like you're in desperate need of a quick powernap to get through the day. When low energy drags you down, don't look to a candy bar, cup of coffee, or energy drink for a boost! Here's what to do instead, to give yourself a boost of energy.

Avoid sugars and caffeine
It's pretty crazy how much coffee most people need in the morning to function properly. But loading up on caffeine is not tackling the problem, it's just making it worse! The same goes for sugars.. This will give you a quick energy boost as your sugar levels rise quickly, but they drop down 2 hours later even faster, which will result in a super low energy level. So you crave sugar and caffeine again to feel energetic, and that's what keeps this vicious cirlce going.

Exercise

Working out, whether it's before or after work, will not only make you feel like you did something good and heathy... it will also make you feel SO energetic! Whenever you do it, oxygen-rich blood surges through your body to your heart, muscles, and brain. Regularly squeezing a workout into your day -- even if you can spare only 10 minutes at a time -- will help keep your energy levels at their peak. Move around every chance you get, even if it's just to pace in circles while you're on the phone. A quick walk around the block and getting some fresh air works wonders to fight that after noon dip, too.

Stretch yourself out!
Whether your at home, at school or at work: just a few desk stretches cam be enough to feel less sleepy again. If you really want to go for it, do some yoga. Studies have suggested that a little yoga could fight depression and anxiety or other stress-related disorders that can tire us out.

Eat nuts
Did you know, nuts are great little energy boosters? Eat a handful of almonds or unsalted peanuts, which are high in magnesium and folate (folic acid). These nutrients are essential for energy and cell production. A lack of these nutrients in your system can leave you feeling weary, so eating a handful of nuts every day is not only a healthy addition to your diet, (these contain the good fats) it will also help you boost your energy.

Power Nap
If you get the chance to take a power nap, do so! A quick 15 or 20 minute nap is all we need to recharge ourselves to get through the day without throwing off the night's sleep.

Style | When Nude Meets Black

I guess everybody's got a ritual when picking out an outfit. I always start with either the shoes I want to wear that day, or the bag. In this case, the bag was my first choice so I styled the rest of the outfit based on this eyecatching bag. I went for my favorite skinny jeans, a nude colored ruffled blouse, tailored leather jacket and bronze pumps. Which are the most comfortable pair of heels I own by the way.

I hope you like this look! Do share your own ritual on how you style your outfit in the comment section... So many girls, so many ways, I guess!

Zara jacket | H&M jeans | H&M blouse | Kenzaa bag | Ted & Muffy pumps

No boring green salads or super foods today, nope... we love life and with that comes enjoying the good food, right?! The guilty-pleasure type of food. If you want to impress your friends or family with a more extraordinary version of spaghetti, these crispy spaghetti donuts are the ideal recipe! And if you know how to make spaghetti, these donuts are super easy to make, too. There are just two ingredients you need to add to your spaghetti (and make sure you've got a donut tray) to make these spaghetti donuts.

This recipe was created by Pop Pasta in New York and their spaghetti donuts are taking over Instagram. They say their famous spaghetti donuts are great as a snack during a picnick or lunch break as they're not as messy as pizza but definitely just as tasty. When dressed with a salad on the side, these would be great for dinner as well. Yumm! If you want to make these yourself, you can make any type of spaghetti you want, with olives, tomatoes, other veggies etc. Once your spaghetti is ready, all you have to do is pop it in a donut tray, apply some egg wash and cheese on top and bake it untill it's crunchy! So easy 😋

Romantic Interior Inspiration

Romantic vibes don't have to be saved for February 14th. You can use them throughout your home all year round. Isn't a big house, decorated with romantic furniture and cozy vibes, the dream of every girl? Neutral colors, soft pastels, fuzzy plaids and many candles provide the dreamy interior that so many women love. And let's be honest, men do too! Let's show you some inspiration! 

If you want to turn your house theme into a romantic interior, think about what details like flowers, candles, pillows, mirrors and soft lighting can do! Small changes can already make a major difference. But if you like to dream big, take a look at the stunning photos below. Sometimes dreams do come true, who knows... you might be styling your house into one of these romantic interior examples one day!

3 Tips To Find The Perfect Bracelet For Men

Shopping for ourselves is a piece of cake, right ladies? Women know what they want and where to get it. But what if you're looking for a piece of jewelry for your husband, boyfried, brother or father? What are things to keep in mind? Today I'll be sharing my tips with you, so you'll easily find the perfect (birthday) gift!

Discover his style!

Someone's overall style will say a lot about what they like in jewerly. If you're looking for a men's bracelet, the options are endless. Beaded bracelets, leather bracelets or a silver bracelet for example, are very taste sensitive.  Men with a preppy style may be more into chic, leather bracelets, whereas men with a tougher style may like beaded bracelets more. In the end, keep in mind what type of bracelet would look good with the man's clothes to prevent a mismatch.

Buy jewelry in the right proportions

This goes for men just as much as for women. A wide, heavy bracelet won't look best on a super small wrist. I once bought a watch for my dad and he doesn't have small wrists, but the clock itself on the watch was really small.. It would have looked odd, so I looked further for a bigger watch that would look good on his wrist. The same goes for bracelets. A super thin bracelet on a bigger wrist will look a little off. Go for a chunky shackled bracelet instead, or a wide leather woven bracelet for example.

Be careful with materials
A lot of people have an allergic reaction to non silver metals, which people often forget to take into account when shopping for jewelry for someone else. Rings, bracelets and watches that are not made out of sterling silver can irritate the skin a lot. These are often the cheaper pieces of jewelry, but just looking at the product description will tell you if the product contains metal parts or silver / silver plated parts.

I wrote this article in collaboration with Trend Him, where I got the silver bracelet and beaded bracelets, too! Let me know in the comment section if you found these tips helpfull, and if you've got tips yourself to make jewelry shopping for men easier, share them in the comments 😊

Dutch

Dit artikel heb ik geschreven in samenwerking met Trend Him. Dit is een super leuke webshop waar je álles van sieraden tot accessoires voor mannen kunt vinden. Dat maakt de zoektocht naar dat speciale item al een stuk makkelijker! Op Trend Him vind je ook inspiratie en kun je ideeën opdoen voor wat leuk bij elkaar past qua sieraden. Zo ben ik ook deze leuke heren armband tegengekomen. Daarnaast vind je bij Trend Him ook horloges, ringen, manchetknopen en toilettassen voor mannen. Neem eens een kijkje voor inspiratie!

Blogging in 2022 - Tips For A Successful Blog!

It seemed to have been out of trend for a while, blogging. that is. To say that you have a blog was nowhere near as cool as saying that you are a 'social influencer'. A phrase that actually annoys me - you see this on almost every Instagram account with +300 followers nowadays, often with the description of being a 'famous person'. Fortunately, I am a blogger and not a social influencer: this article is gonna be all about blogging ... in 2022! Yes, even in a time when social influencers are booming and everyone already seems to have a blog, you can totally still start a blog with success.

 Blogs are - and will remain - extremely valuable. A blog is a platform that offers room for real stories, informative, inspiring and entertaining content ... you won't get that depth in an Instagram post. Blogs are simply indispensable!

In 2018 I received emails regularly from (mainly) young girls who said: you have had your own blog for so long, how did you do that and how can I start a blog, too? What should I pay attention to? How do I make sure my blog will get read and stand out from that huge online crowd? That is why I  want to share my knowledge and expertise with you that I have gained as a blogger, but also through my job as an online marketer. Maybe you have a blog yourself or would you like to start a blog? Then keep on reading and take advantage of my tips for successful blogging in 2022!

Blog about topics that mean something to you
By this I mean: please don't write about beauty products - purely because you think that will get you a lot of visitors - if that topic is not your true passion. I also read this in an email from a blogger who asked me for advice. Writing about a topic because you think others want to read about it will never come out as good as writing about what comes from your heart. Writing about your passion, a subject you know a lot about and which you can help or inspire others with, that is what matters. That is how blogging is still so much fun for me after all those years!

Don't start a blog for the free products
It seems so easy, starting a blog about beauty, fashion or travel for example ... And after a number of posts you may feel like you're ready to approach companies for free products or a discount code. I have done internships at several PR agencies and I am well aware of how often the agencies keep track of bloggers - like a blacklist- who continuously responded to press releases asking whether they could receive products for free. That's not always a problem, but it often were the same bloggers who were only blogging since a few weeks or months and didn't have a real audience yet. This way you will not be taken seriously and you still won't once your blog is bigger...  Companies definitely remember bloggers who are doing it for the free stuff ;) Yes, receiving products for reviews is great fun, but nothing comes that easy :) By creating valuable content for a while, your visitors will keep coming back more often and your blog will also become more valuable to companies.

Invest time in search engine optimalisation
SEO (Search Engine Optimalisation) is nowhere near dead, trust me on that one. People often say Google knows all the trics there are by now, but there are still some things you can do that really work in making your blog SEO-proof.

Determine what you want your focus words (keywords) to be. Use this word in the post title, in every paragraph, in the search description and links. But also, make sure you re-name images that you add in your post and make sure the title (and ALT-title) contains the main key word. Google reads images, too.

Once you've made sure you've used your keywords in the right places, it all comes down to publishing and promoting your post. Once I've published my post, I will post it on my Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram account. Also, make sure to share your post in relevant Facebook and Linkedin groups to reach an even bigger audience. Moderation is key, though... Don't post the same article three times a day, but instead: share a few different posts in different groups :)

Work on internal links
Once you've written a few articles in the same type of category, you can link back to other posts you wrote, because your reader might be interested in those too. It helps with your amount of pageviews, but it's also a great way to keep your readers interested. The more content you have to offer, the better. Also, Google really appreciates internal linkbuilding - but of course getting your link on another website (external linkbuilding) is even better.

 

Try to avoid typos
This one can  be hard sometimes, and of course we all make mistakes sometimes. But reading a text that's full of typo's is not very pleasant... It's a tricky one for myself, as English is not my native language as a Dutchie. Even though I check my articles before I throw them on to the world wide web, there's always a chance that you missed a few typo's. Having someone else read your text before publishing it might help!

These are my tips for a blogging with success in 2022. Even though we live in an era where there's blogs everywhere, you can still stand out from the crowd by being yourself and providing authentic and inspiring content. Whether you have a blog yourself of you'd like to start one, let me know if you have more tips that might help others! Share it in the comments :)

Full & Natural Eyebrows With Castor Oil - This Really Works!

It's crazy how quickly trends in make up and beauty change nowadays. It wasn't too long ago when thin, drawn on eyebrows where hot and happening. Then there were (and still are) the 'Instagram' brows, followed by the latest brow trend: full, natural, bushy brows. But what if you're not blessed with brows like super models Cara Delevingne and Kaia Gerber, for example? I tried a beauty oil that's known to promote hair growth... let me tell you: it 100% works! 

Fuller, thicker eyebrows with Castor oil
As soon as I read about castor oil being really great for growing out your eyebrows (or eyelashes) I decided to give it a try. It's important to only use 100% castor oil, which is a bit thicker and yellow-ish of color. Some castor oils are mixed with other oils, so you won't get everything out of the product. Pure castor oil is unusually rich in ricinoleic acid which helps improve your blood circulation, more than any other oil would do. That results in nutrition for the hair follicles, but also much stronger strands and less breakage.

How often should you apply Castor oil?
At first I forgot to use castor oil every evening, so I did it about 2 or 3 times a week. Later on I made it a part of my night routine and I literally applied it every single night before going to sleep. I simply applied a decent amount of oil on top of my brows and gently rubbed it in, so that all the hairs and the roots were covered. After about a week of doing this every night, I noticed a major difference! My eyebrows started growing back in places where there were bald patches before, and the hairs came back so much thicker. After about 3 months my eyebrows were so much thicker that I finally stopped drawing them in. Nowadays I still apply castor oil to my brows about once or twice a week, because they're actually starting to get really bushy... I trim the edges now, which I never thought I'd have to do to my brows!

All I do now as far as my brow routine goes when applying my makeup, it brushing some dark brown mascara through the hairs to make them a little thicker and keep them in place. I honestly love this natural, thick brow look on myself, and it saves me a lot of time in in my make up routine as well. So, if you're looking for a cheap and easy way to grow out your brows, get your hands on a bottle of 100% Castor oil and within a few weeks, you should see major results😃

On the left: what my brows looked like before - vs what they looked like after makeup

My natural brows after using Castor oil

NL: Hi allemaal! Wat zijn we allemaal toch blij met dit heerlijke zomerse weer! De temperaturen bereiken bijna 35 graden! Bij ons thuis ligt de tuin op het zuiden, aka: non stop zon, nergens schaduw, temperatuur tot 41 graden. Gelukkig hebben we een douche in de tuin om lekker onder af te koelen. Hoe graag ik ook de hele dag lig te zonnen, mijn huid beschermen vind ik ontzettend belangrijk.  Blogger Media stuurde mij twee sets Ladival zonbescherming om te testen.

Zonbescherming voor normale en gevoelige huid

Ikzelf verbrand vrijwel nooit en word snel bruin. De zonnebrand lotion voor normale huid was dus echt iets voor mij. Mijn moeder en mijn zus verbranden wel snel en hebben een gevoelige huid. De zonnebrand gel voor gevoelige huid liet ik hun daarom testen, aangezien we allemaal de afgelopen dagen in de zon lagen te bakken;)

Eerste indruk

Wat mij qua verpakking meteen op viel is dat er geen parfum, kleurstoffen en conserveringsmiddelen inzitten. De geur is inderdaad neutraal. Ik heb het product over mijn hele lichaam en gezicht gebruikt. Zowel de lotion als de gel laten geen witte waas achter en trekken ontzettend snel in! Voor mijn gevoel heb ik heerlijk de hele dag beschermd in de zon kunnen liggen. Het voelde ook totaal niet plakkerig of alsof ik iets op mijn huid gesmeerd had. Het was wel echt héel warm, dus ik sprong geregeld onder onze buitendouche. Fijn om te weten dus dat de zonnebrand waterproof is!

Na een dagje zonnen?

Ikzelf ben totaal niet verband en juist lekker bijgekleurd. Voor mijn gevoel was de aftersun niet eens nodig, maar deze heb ik 's avonds toch op gedaan. Mijn huid voelde heerlijk gehydrateerd. Mijn zus en moeder zijn lang niet zo verbrand als normaal met de zonnebrand gel voor gevoelige huid. Wel was mijn zus vergeten haar schouders/bovenrug in te smeren, dus daar was ze wel verband. Gelukkig had ik dus de aftersun gel. Deze prikte totaal niet op een verbrande huid en voelde meteen verkoelend aan. 

Al met al hebben ik en mijn test team geen éen negatief puntje kunnen vinden aan Ladival zonbescherming. Wat een top producten! De afgelopen 3 dagen hebben  wij Ladival gebruikt alvorens de zon in te gaan en we zijn overtuigd. Ken je dat, dat wanneer je een product vind wat écht voor jou werkt en je niets anders meer wilt? Voor ons is Ladival zeker weten dé zonbescherming die we nodig hebben :)

Test vloer artikel

We all know that horryfing moment when you're about to enter your job interview... It is okay to be nervous- we all are -whatever our career stage. However, too much anxiety or being unprepared can really make the interview fail. But there are plenty of things you can do to come prepared! Read on to make the experience less nerve wrecking so you will have no other option than to just ace that job (or internship) interview.

Check, check, double check!

In this case, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Before the interview, make sure you know the addresss you won't get lost and get late. Write down the address, because on the most important moments of our lives, our phones freeze or the batteries die... So just go old school and write it down, just in case. Also, always know who you should be asking for on the big day. Make sure to check everything before you leave the house for your interview. 

Bring your stuff

Have a copy of your CV and application letter printed out and at the ready. Tip for the ladies: keep it folded in a pocket in your bag so you don't end up looking clumsy while digging through your bag in a state of panic. Have your stuff ready! Also bring a notebook and a pen so you can take notes. Coming well prepared and coming across organized will give them a professional impression. Them, yes, in many cases you will have the interview with more than one person.

Write down questions

Even when you don't have any questions, you will come across as genuinely interested in the job when you've got some questions written down. Things you could ask are 'What can you tell me about this job that isn't in the description?', 'How do people grow in this job?' or 'What are the most important skills for this job?'. Even if your questions already get answered during the interview, the employer will see that you came prepared.

Prepare for commonly asked questions too
Employers always like to get to know you, so be prepared to tell them  a little something about yourself. You can tell them where you live and what your hobbies are, but there are more questions that could be asked that dig a little deeper. For example:

1. Why do you want to work / intern here?
2. Why should we hire YOU?
3. What do you expect this position to be like?
4. What’s your goal with this job / internship?
5. Tell me about some of your school involvements / skills and how they relate to this job.

Dress well

It totally depends on the type of job you're going for, but dress well for the occasion. For a job in the fashion industry you can get away with pretty much anything, while other office jobs often require a more professional attire. Ladies and gentlemen: when in doubt, wear a plain blouse, a pair of neat jeans ( no holes and tears, please) classy shoes and a fitted blazer. Casual chic is always a safe choice. Also very important: always pick an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and confident!

And keep in mind...

It is totally normal to be nervous, it is not even a bad thing to admit that to the employer. He or she will appreciate your honesty and it breaks the ice way more than  you forcing yourself to act normal while you're too nervous to function.When you come prepared and keep these tips in mind, you will be totally fine and you will ace that job interview! 

REVIEW | LANI BEACH BABE HAIR IN A BOTTLE

NL: Meiden, ik had echt zó zin om deze review met jullie te delen! Ik ben helemaal enthousiast over Lani beach babe hair in a bottle. Lani benaderde mij op instagram en stuurde mij een flesje toe om uit te proberen. Normaal test ik producten wat langer dan een dag, maar sinds ik het gister binnen kreeg heb ik het al uitgeprobeerd en ik ben super blij! Het is een mix van 100% natuurlijke tropische oliën en het zit in een flesje van 100ml, t.w.v €12,28. Toen ik las wat Lani allemaal voor je haar doet was ik al overtuigd♥

• Lani laat je lokken glanzen
• Lani zorgt ervoor dat je haar vocht vasthoudt
• Lani beschermt tegen haarbreuk en gespleten punten
• Lani maakt droog en pluizig haar weer beheersbaar
• Lani herstelt beschadigd haar
• Lani maakt je haar makkelijker te stijlen
• Lani verzacht een droge en jeukende hoofdhuid

Ik heb Lani in mijn haar gedaan van hoofdhuid tot puntjes en 2 uur laten intrekken. Daarna waste ik mijn haar zoals normaal. Toen het opgedroogd was heb ik nog een minuscuul beetje op de punten van mijn haar gedaan, en het is super zacht en glanzend! Lani is eigenlijk geen leave-in product, maar ik heb toch een beetje op droog haar gedaan omdat mijn punten erg droog zijn van het bleken. Het verschil met de eerste en tweede foto vind ik super goed te zien. Ik heb het mijn mama ook laten testen, zij bleekt haar haar regelmatig en ook zij zag meteen verschil!

Ik en Lani weten zeker dat jullie het net zo gaaf zullen vinden, daarom heb ik een kortingscode van 20% korting voor jullie: MALULANI20 ! 

OUTFIT | INVITO SHOES

Zo gauw het weer wat kouder wordt pak ik meteen mijn fake fur jas van de kapstok. Ik heb er nu een paar en ik vind ze heerlijk comfy, ik kan niet wachten op de winter! Nog iets waardoor de winter van mij wel mag komen? Deze gave Invito laarsjes! Ze zijn van echt leer en hebben een super hoge maar comfortabele hak. Ik zie mezelf hier de hele winter wel op lopen!

Naast dat ik graag deze foto's met jullie wilde delen, heb ik ook een vraag aan jullie : willen jullie je stem op mij uitbrengen in de Invito Blogger Battle? Ik en 3 andere bloggers hebben deze laarsjes op onze eigen manier gestyled en de blogger met de leukste outfit wint! Zou super zijn als jullie willen stemmen, als je mijn outfit leuk vind, het kost maar 1 klikje!

 

VITA COCO COCONUT WATER

I've been paying more attention to a healthy lifestyle lately. Especially since I will start my new internship soon, which will take up a lot of energy. I've learned that the best energy comes from a combination of good sleep, excersise and most importantly: good food. That's why I'm cutting down on sugar, processed foods and anything with E numbers that your body doesn't need anyways. As a major Coca Cola and Red Bull addict, drinking healthy is harder for me than eating healthy. Especially because I don't drink water. I know, sounds crazy to everybody, but I really don't like water. So, imagine my excitement when I got sent a package of Vita Coco Coconut water!

100% pure coconut water is said to be the most hydrating, refreshing, vitamin- and mineral-rich nectar. It is a great source of potassium and it is fat and cholesterol free. The best way to hydrate naturally! The flavors I got are Natural Coconut water, Coconut water with peach & mango, Coconut water with Pineapple and Coconut water Lemonade. As I already expected, I did not like the 100% natural coconut water. It's a very sweet liquid with a nutty taste, and I don't like the taste of nuts. The other flavors are pretty good and fruity, with less of a coconut taste. My favorite is the one  I'm enjoying on the photo above: Lemonade! All the fruity tastes come from purree, so it's real fruit and no added flavors. I'm happily surprised about these nutricious drinks, I am definitely going to add them on my daily super healthy menu!

What do you think of the Vita Coco coconut drinks? :)