Tulips and Lavender

How to beat the winter blues

I don’t know about you but I’m definitely one of those people who suffer from winter blues. I wouldn’t even say that I generally dislike winter, it’s just that I find it hard to deal with the darkness and the weather which makes me want to stay indoors way too much and robbs me of my motivation to do anything, particularly on grey and dreary days. I’m also not very good with the cold temperatures and admire people who live in REALLY cold countries/climates (I’m looking at you Canada and Russia).
However, since winter keeps coming round every year without fail, I’ve found a few little ways of making it more bearable which I want to share with you today.

Make the most of any sunny spells

I try and make the most of the rare sunny spells by getting out and about for a little walk or some errands or even just sitting on my balcony in the sun. The light and warmth revives me and is so important to give my body the much needed Vitamin D.

Try and embrace the bad weather. Get cosy!

Since we can’t change the weather it is best to make the most of it and try and appreciate that it isn’t just a nuisance but that it can also be quite cosy actually. So get your blankets out, make some hot chocolate or tea
and cuddle up on the sofa with a book or a good film.

Buy some flowers

With christmas over, I’m craving spring but since I’ll have to wait for that a bit longer I make sure to buy some fresh flowers as often as I can. I think a nice vase of tulips instantly brightens up the room and it definitely lifts my mood, despite the gloomy weather.

Make some plans and changes that get you excited

I always find that making plans and sticking to my new years resolutions really helps with improving my mood and getting me even more excited for spring and summer. I like making plans for the months ahead so that I have something to look forward to and to work towards.

Watch summery films

On days when it is particularly cold and wintery I like watching films that are set in summer or a sunny location because they give me that summery feeling and let me forget about winter for a moment.

I hope these tips help you as much as they help me 🙂

Life Update

I thought it was time for a little life update so here goes.

Since I finished Uni I’ve been trying to find a job which turned out to be much more difficult than I first anticipated. I left Uni with a Bachelors Degree in History and English which isn’t the most useful combination of subjects as I found out. I don’t desire becoming a teacher (also I would have to go back to Uni to get fully qualified for that) which seems to be the most suitable profession with this kind of qualification. Before I started my uni course I was unsure of the direction I wanted to go in so I tried to gather information about different subjects and prospects for the future. In the end I opted for the History and English degree as they were some of my favourite subjects in school and I was told that I would be able to find a job in loads of different areas of work like media and journalism, trade, administration and so on. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case as the German job market is very “hot” on additional qualifications and there is loads of competition as well.
After trying to find some kind of an entry level job in administration and other fields and failing miserably I now decided to go back into education and start a further education course to become a foreign language assistant.
This decision hasn’t been an easy one because part of me still just wants to find a job and finally start earning money. The prospect of another 6 months of studying combined with having very little money doesn’t fill me with much joy at the moment. I know however that I have to take action and improve my chances on the job market in order to find work and finally start living the life I imagined.
I had big plans for my blog as well but my situation has been dragging me down in recent months so I lost a lot of my motivation for writing blog posts. I really want this to change again and will hopefully get into some kind of a blogging routine.
Thanks for reading everyone. See you soon for my next regular post.

Juliane xx

 

A sunday walk and some Italian food

Last sunday I went for a nice walk with some of my family and their dogs. The weather was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining all day and the temperatures being nice and mild. We encountered many other dogs and their owners, amongst them two super cute puppies who were playing with each other. Our walk took us along fields and through woods and I really enjoyed getting out of the flat and having a good ol’ chin wag with my family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all that walking we were quite hungry so we decided to have some food at the local Italian. I ordered some rather tasty pasta with cherry tomatoes, garlic and parmesan topped off with some fresh rocket. It was absolutely delicious and the perfect ending to this wonderful sunday.

 

 

What did you get up to on the weekend?

Juliane xx

Stationery Wants

Amongst my family and friends it’s really no secret that I’m a huge stationery lover. I can spend hours browsing the web and my favourite stationery shops for nice notebooks, colourful pens, pastel coloured post-its and any other desk accessory that takes my fancy (despite having way too much already).
Buying new stationery always makes me want to write and be super productive which is a very good feeling.
I thought I’d share some of my most recent finds with you, so here’s my latest stationery wishlist.

 

Which are your favourite shops to buy stationery from?

Juliane xx

Some TK Maxx Goodies

In the last couple of years I’ve become a real fan of TK Maxx. Although I mostly don’t bother with the clothes department as this can be a bit too messy for my liking, I always check out their homewares and beauty products as well as sportswear. I hardly ever leave the shop empty handed as there’s always something that takes my fancy.
This time I found these two notebooks which were 5,99€ each as well as this nice, spotty storage tin which was 3,49€.  I saw loads of other nice things too but I managed to contain myself at least a bit and didn’t make my bank account cry too much.
Do you like TK Maxx as much as I do?
Juliane xx