Hey everyone & Welcome back!
It´s when I open my calendar to find another one of my “monthly favorites” scheduled, that I realize how fast time actually passes… On the one hand, entering the month of September feels like a minute ago. On the other hand though, there are so many things happening each month that make it feel endless.
Every time I sit down to write another one of my monthly favorites posts, I start by scrolling through the pictures that I took on my phone that month to get an understanding of all the things I have experienced. And this month I have to say, it felt quite overwhelming… So here´s a little review of the past month!
September 2019
I
On one of the less cold days of the month, I attended a festival here in Den Haag. It was actually my first time trying out a silent disco and I absolutely loved it! So for anyone who doesn´t know what a Silent Disco is – A Silent Disco is sort of a party, where everyone gets headphones in order to listen to their own music. So you´re out dancing with your friends, but each one of you can listen to whatever song or style of music you prefer. It looks a bit funny, but the idea behind it is genius!
Otherwise, I spent most of my days at a new beach that I discovered called ´Westduinpark´. It is a more natural beach – No promenade and not as many beach clubs, which I prefer. My favorite day was probably when my roomie and I had a late summer Poké Picnic at the beach – In fact, Poké Bowl is another thing I have fallen in love with again this month. Ohana Poké in The Hague is my go-to place and I would highly recommend you to give it a try!
Some other beautiful memories of this month included day-tripping to both Amsterdam and Delft, as well as a weekend getaway to see my family in Dortmund.
Smiled
I guess I probably smiled the most when I went to visit my brother in his new home this month. He moved to Groningen about 2 months ago, which I think is totally crazy to imagine. I mean, I have spoken about this before, but seeing your little brother move out, living in his own space and going to university is such a surreal feeling. It really reminds me every time that time flies – I can´t imagine what my parents must feel like…
Anyways, we spent an incredible weekend exploring Groningen with my parents and my grandparents and had lots of delicious food and drinks. One day, we even headed up to Lauwersmeer, which is a national park located right at the waterfront – Really nice for long walks and good catch-ups with your family!
Experienced
This month was a really enjoyable, yet also
I am now an absolute sucker for Meditation and make sure to do it at least 4 times a week. If, like me, you used to be rather skeptical about all things spirituality – Please do yourself a favor and give it another shot! I could not recommend it to you more.
Cooked
As the temperatures have been dropping this month, I decided to switch up my breakfast routine to a warm meal in the morning. So I have been stepping up my Porridge game this month!
Ingredients-wise, you will only need Oats and Oat Milk for the base. Toppings are adjustable to anyone´s taste basically. In order, to achieve the right creaminess of the Porridge you need to take 1 cup of oats and double the amount of oat milk – and that makes 2 cups, hey! Start by heating up the milk on medium heat and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Give it a good stir. Then add the oats and let them cook on low heat while stirring everything as you go. You will see when the Porridge is done, as it starts to develop a really creamy texture.
Toppings-wise, I love adding frozen berries, a little bit of granola and a drizzle of honey! Ét voila – the perfect breakfast for any colder seasons coming up! If, however, you prefer a cold breakfast bowl, make sure to check out an older blog post of mine which is all about Breakfast Bowls.
Wore
My favorite outfit this month was definitely this beautiful Vanilia dress. Looking at the current weather situation, it´s unbelievable to see me in a dress with bare legs and strolling through the water – When did it get this cold in the Netherlands? Luckily, you can still wear this dress with some tights and boots in winter!
Anyways, I love wearing this dress a lot as it is really cozy, yet looks super “put together” due to the bow on the neckline. What probably stood out most to me was the sort of denim-blue color though. As my parents like to say, navy blue is a ´go-to color´ in our family – So purchasing yet another navy blue dress really isn´t my fault… It just comes naturally!
Outfit Details
- Dress – Vanilia
Loved
In this section of the monthly favorites, I always love to share some of my new beauty and skincare finds with you. However, this month, I haven´t really added anything new to my collection so I thought I would share something else that I´ve Loved this month with you – And that is running! Now let me tell you a little backstory about this…
Earlier this year, a rather big change happened in my life that in the beginning, I did not really know how to cope with. So one day, I decided to put an end to this whole misery of being overwhelmed by my feelings and went for a run. My first run only lasted for about 15 minutes, but they were some of the most well-spent 15 minutes of my life (maybe, I´m exaggerating a little…). So I went again and again and again, pushing myself harder every time. Today, I am able to run 10 km without feeling like I might faint after, which is such a rewarding feeling! I used to hate being forced to run in any sports activities and now it is somehow becoming part of my daily routine.
Running just helped me in so many ways, that I really hope this might motivate you to try again. It really does not matter how long or how far you go the first couple of times – Just ensure that you listen to your body and see if you´re actually exhausted or just making stupid excuses to stop.
Here are some of my top tips for any beginners, like me, out there
- Listen to your body and eliminate any numbers, such as time and distance – It will only restrict you!
- Go at your own pace – Do not focus on other people´s speed, especially if you´re a beginner!
- Focus on your breathing – This is something that my grandpa (who used to run lots of marathons) used to tell me. Try to find a rhythm of breathing. Mine, for example, is breathing in, taking 4 steps, breathing out, taking 4 steps, repeat.
- Set up a new playlist – I might sound absolutely ridiculous to you, but I love it when the beat of my music is in line with my steps! Try it, before judging…
- Find the right environment for your run – Everyone´s different, so everyone prefers a different running scenario. I personally love running at the beach, as the ground is a little more soft and smooth.
And that´s it for my monthly favorites this September. Hope you all had a good start to October and are enjoying the fall season! See you soon with another autumnal fashion edit…
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