Here are my July and August purchases... ...as you may remember from this post, I was thinking a lot about my behaviour as a consumer in the past few weeks (also in the past few years but more intense in the past few weeks) and I decided to change my shopping behaviour. I want to shop from organic and fair shops only OR second hand. That is because everything else is not sustainable, is promoting child labor, exploitation etc etc. look at this post for more information. ANYWAY, in July and early August I bought a few things from "bad brands"... hopefully the last ones of the year. I really hope that I will remain true to myself and adhere to my new principles and I think the blog will help me since it puts some pressure on me - imagine I will post H&M clothes again in my new "My Purchases" post... you guys will never believe in me again then (and I do not want that to happen!) But now back to my deals:
This one is my favorite one! A really really wonderful super pretty jacket/blazer/kimono/whatever from ZARA which I got on sale for 40€ I love it! I only wore it twice so far because its still too warm to wear it more often - but Fall is around the corner and I will wear it every day as soon as it gets colder :)
This Kimono is from H&M and I got it on sale for 10€. I wore it on the blog here and I wore it a couple of times with jeans or even with my chinos. Its a great basic and I am really happy that I found it (before I decided not to buy H&M any more ;))
These yoga pants are from Amisu and I got them for 10€ I love to pair them with the shirt I was wearing here and I mainly wear them at home :)
These shorts were another H&M sale find. I got them for 5€ and I wore them here and a couple of times during my vacation :) I spent a total of 65€ which is a lot less than I did in the previous months.
Well yes, this one has hopefully been my last "My Purchases" Post ever which included sale frinds from H&M, Zara, etc.! From now on I will show you second hand finds and new ethical brands :)
How do you like these items? And how do you like the fact that I am no longer going to support the "bad brands"? Do you think this will change my style? I am curious if it going to do so :)
Sending much love and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
The last weekend of my vacation I spent at the North Sea Coast... ... since this place is so beautiful, I thought to share some images with you. In the area there are loads of dykes because of the floodings which happen from to time. On those dykes you will find herds of sheep which are tramping down the soil so that the dykes stay firm and solid. My husband and I enjoyed a beautiful walk with our baby on one of those dykes and I took lots of pictures of those cute sheeps walking around there :) We also went mudflat walking which was a lot of fun. Since there are ebb and flow at the North Sea the water is sometimes just gone for hours and you can walk around in the leftover mud. We saw children completly covered in mud, screaming and jumping around - they obviously had a lot of fun! Since we had the baby with us, we decided just to walk in the mud and not to dive in it ;)
In the past six weeks we travelled to a lot of different places in the northern part of Germany and we were thinking about where to move... this is a really difficult question since so many factors play a role in this decision. For now, we are going to stay in the city for a little longer, but in around two years we want to move to the countryside somewhere in northern Germany. I am already looking forward to it :)!
Have you every been to the North Sea? Have you done mudflat walking? I would love to know :) Sending much love!
This blouse is my favorite one... ...I wear it all the time since I got it back in late June this year. I wear it with my pencil skirt, with shorts, or with skinny jeans like the one I am wearing here. Its definetly the coolest blouse Ive ever owned and I love it. Its another H&M piece that I got on sale on my last order (which you can see here). I do actually not even know the brand of the jeans since I got it second hand and its not indicated anywhere. So nothing more to say about this :) I think an oversized item makes every casual look a little more interesting. Do you agree?
How was your weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one!
Mine was really nice even though I am a little sad today since I am going back to my city while this post is going online. We had beautiful last weekend here in northern Germany where I was staying with my husband and my baby.
I am wishing you all a great start into the new week and sending you much love!
...but the other day I felt like wearing this outfit. I bought the shirt last Winter on sale at H&M and I combined it with some black shorts from Vero Moda. Not much more to say about this look, except for the fact that I love how my earrings have the same color as the sequins on the shirt ;)
Oh, and even though I decided no longer to buy cheap clothes, I still wear the ones I have, of course, and I am also still going to tell you here where I got the items I am wearing. Since most of them are old anyway, I think it doesnt matter because there is not really a "risk" that you run to some shop to buy them too ;) Like this, I feel like I am not really supporting the "bad brands" I am wearing. Do you wear dark colors in Summer are or you like me - prefering to wear white and light colors, or if not, then bright colorful outfits :)?
Did you all have a good week?
I did... it was the last week of my holidays here in northern Germany and I am ready to go back to my city. I do not really feel like it, because I really began to love living on the countryside in these past few weeks. I would like to move to the area, but for now we do not really have a budget for a cute little house somewhere in the nature. So maybe we should at least look for a place with a terrace or a large balcony in our city so that we can slightly closer to the feeling we had here in the past five weeks (oh my, they went sooo fast these SIX weeks of holiday...).
There is another holiday waiting for us in October so I should not complain and should not be sad but instead try to enjoy the weeks at home before we travel again :)
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Sending much love!
... but I rarely wear socks in Summer. I am barefoot from May to September and I am loving it :) When walking around barefood for months, I want my feet to look pretty, of course. I love to use nail polish on my feet and I like to spoil my feet with nice and rich products from time to time. I use the nailpolish from benecos because they do not contain any toluene, camphor, phthalates and formaldehydes.
benecos is a awesome organic brand with great products that I use a lot - maybe you remember when I presented the company to you for the first time back in February this year (if not you can find the post here) - since, I did not only use their nail care and their make-up but also their shower gels and body lotions (so good!). I love the brand because all products are attractive, BDIH certified and their prices are really good compared to a lot of other organic cosmetic.
Feel free to check out their website for more information on why to use organic cosmetics and the variety of products the company offers.
But now back to my Summer nail care :) On the picture I am wearing the color "be my baby" which I find perfect to combine with all kind of outfit colors. On the pictures you can also see the color "desire" which I find a little more elegant and chic than the more basic and simple one, I am wearing here on the picture.
I love to wear nail polish but I also take at least two days off every two weeks so that my nails are able to breathe and relax. I love to use nail oils when I do not wer nail polish, to give my nails a little extra care. I usually use almond oil or shea butter but I also love to use the nail care pen from benecos. This one became one of my favorite products recently and it makes both my fingernails and my toenails so smooth and nice!
When it comes to nail polish remover, I only use aceton free products. I like the one from benecos because its organic, and, as most of you, I am a huge fan of organic products and I rarely use anything else (the nail polishes are not 100% organic, but, as mentioned above, without toluene, camphor, phthalates and formaldehydes, which makes them a great product for me).
Oh and by the way, if you are looking for a rich, nutritious hand lotion, which smells like Summer (of orange and sea buckthorn), I can totally recommend the hand and nail cream from benecos. The smell puts me instantly in a good mood and the cream absorbs really quickly and leaves the nicest, softest feeling :)
Benecos is a brand that I really like and that I can honestly recommend to everyone out there, because their products to not contain any
mineral oils or derivatives / silicones / parabens / synthetic
emulsifiers or their derivatives (PEG/PEG derivatives) / synthetic
colorants or aromatic substances. Furthermore, benecos does not carry out tests on animals itself nor does it have such
tests carried out by others! Neither do their partners. This applies for
both end products and individual ingredients. This is why I like to support this brand and I LOVE using their products :)
Thank you a lot for sharing your thoughts on my last post with me! It meant a lot to me to read your opion about our behaviour as consumers and the impact our behaviour has on the entire world. This topic will come up again on my blog for sure :)
Here comes another post about consumerism... ...I wrote a post about consumerism back in February and since this topic is still one I think of every single day, I decided to write another one. When I watched the movie The True Cost I came across the term "fast fashion" and I want to share a few thoughts on this term and the whole topic behind it.
The movie The True Cost is basically a summary of why the way most of us consume, namely using clothes as disposables, is everything but sustainable.
The main problem is our approach to fashion, to fast fashion. Too many of us buy a new dress for every party! The documentary elaborotes on the topic; on the effects of genetically modified cotton (and why 250.000 cotton farmers comitted suicide in the last years), the use of pesticides which bears the blame for thousands of disabled children in the Punjab area in India (and other areas in the world), the working conditions of garment factory workers (and beatings by bosses who resent unionization and requests for higher wages), the different collapes and fires of garment factories (with thousands of deaths), and the effect our used clothing has on the local factories in countries of the Global South (e.g. Haiti and different African countries) - since they local industry has no chance to compete with the much cheaper imported second hand clothes. Furthermore, the movie explains the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry (additionally to the impact of genetically modified cotton and pesticides), with emphasis on the enormous amount of trash and chemicals. In my opinion the documentary is not very well made (chaotic, no real order, difficult to follow different arguments, difficult to understand the connections when you do not have a certani background knowledge) but it still is great food for thought and I wish everyone out there will watch it (or has already watched it!?) At least, it made me (once again) think of my behaviour as a consumer. I am thinking about this a looooot in years already, but sometimes its good to watch a documentary like this one to remind myself why again I am thinking so much about it. Its like with me being vegan. Sometimes I just have to read a little bit on the environmental effects of eating animal products, or I have to watch a documentary on the topic, to remind myself why I am vegan and why it is the only sustainable diet. So this documentary certainly reminded me again, why I want (in theory) to consume less and more sustainable. In practice, I find this really difficult to be honest. I tried so often to stop shopping, to buy second hand only, to buy organic only, etc. but I failed, failed and failed again. I am making the My Purchases posts here on my blog to be able to analyse and criticize my shopping behaviour and to be aware of how much I buy. Well, also this did not help much so far (in contrast, in May and June I bought more than ever...). Thats why I decided to watch The True Cost - it made me set new goals once again. So, once again, I decided that I want to stop buying cheap clothes, that I want to buy second hand or fair trade and organic only, that I want to buy a lot less and a lot better! I stopped e.g. already a while ago to cooperate with companies like "sheinside" because this is not sustainable fashion at all. I will continue to use my blog as a reminder to myself and I will continue with the My Purchases posts to be able to analyse and criticize my shopping behaviour. And I would LOVE TO KNOW if some of you have similar thoughts and if you want to share your experiences with me.
Maybe we can help each other, reminding each other, posting reminder to eachother every once in a while, writing reviews on documentarys or books, sharing stories etc. We could even design a cute little button which says something like "conscious blogger" and put it on our blogs to make us become a little community (or maybe even a big community!? :)).
What do you think? Is anyone out there in? Do you have other ideas? Please share this idea with your followers and lets try to reach as many people out there as possible. We should not forget that we only have this one world to live in and I really want to see my daughter grow up in a beautiful world, not one where more than half of the world poulation is suffering and where the environment is close to collapse. Lets change this world together :) Sending much love!
The color I wear most often definetly is blue... ... I love all different shades of blue and here I am wearing a royal blue shorts and a blouse with light blue stripes. The shorts is a rather old one from the French brand ETAM. I bought it back in 2010 when I lived in Paris. The blouse was part of my last my purchases post since I bought it in June this year. Its from MANGO and I wear it a lot... like once a week or so :) I am also wearing my blue earrings that I have been showing in more detail in my last post and that I am wearing every second day at the moment :)
How do you like this blue on blue look?
I hope you all had a wonderful week!? Mine was filled with really nice day trips - one to Hamburg, one to the small town of Oldenburg, and one to a small village in the area where lots of artists are living and where there are plenty galleries and museums. I loved to spend the entire day in different museums, looking at amazing artwork. We had lunch in a really nice restaurant where we were sitting in the garden and I had the most delicious zuccini filled with quinoa :)
I also enjoyed to explore the town Oldenburg which is really pretty. I was so busy admiring the town and having fun with my cousins that I did not take any pictures to share with you. Its so wonderful to do all these nice activities with my baby which is happy with everything and which seems to enjoy all these small adventures as much as I do :)
I wish you all a wonderful weekend and sending much love!
Remember my last "my purchases" post? If not you can find it here :)
In this post I have been showing the pencil skirt and the blouse that I am wearing here. I have been wearing both pieces a looooot. Like at least once a week. They both turned out to be some of my new absolutely favorites and I love to combine the skirt with all different kinds of blouses and the white blouse with all different kind of skirts and pants. Here is a combination that I have been wearing a couple of times before I took some pictures for the blog the other day. How do you like it?
The oversized kimono that I am wearing here wih the MANGO short sleeve blouse and the H&M pencil skirt, is a new-in that I bought a couple of weeks ago on sale. By the way, I am still thinking a lot about consumerism and the way I consume. I posted a few thoughts on the topic here and I decided that I want to share a little more of my thoughts. This is why I am going to review the movie "The True Cost" for you. I am also thinking about reviewing the movie "cowspiracy" which is another favorite documentary of mine. Cowspiracy had a great influence on me when I went vegan and it convinced me that veganism is the only sustainable way of eating. Now The True Cost may change my behaviour as a consumer when it comes to clothes and since this is a huge topic on my blog I think its important to share my thoughts with you :)
Anyway, for today, I want to stay positive and keep away from the brutal truth. But its absolutely clear that I cannot continue like that...
Summer days are to be spend outside... ... at least thats what I think. I spend all my days in the garden of my holiday house, enjoying the sun, the wind, sometimes the rain (on the roofed terrace) and the fresh air. This is great for body and soul and also for my skin. But my skin also needs a little extra care when its exposed to much sunlight. This is why I love to use the regenerating products from Love me Green.
Every morning I spoil my face with the regenerating day cream to provide my skin with moisture. The day cream
supports the regeneration process and improves skin elasticity, and it give a fresh
complexion without leaving a greasy film. Plus it smells really good. I like the fact that all ingredients are natural and organic - aloe, argan oil, shea butter, pomegranate seed oil, apricot kernel oil, and frangipani extract. I really love this product and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to give their skin some extra good day care, protection and a little bit of luxury - and to everyone who loves the amazing smell of pomegranate and frangipani flower :)
When I feel like I need a little extra care for my face, I love to use the regenerating facemask which I reviewed for you on my blog here.
For my hair I also like to use organic and natural products only. I did not review much hair care on the blog so far because I mainly use my rather simple organic shampoo and argan oil. However, when I went to the hairdresser a few weeks ago she recommended me to use conditioner since my hair is slightly dry. So I started looking for a good conditioner (I never really used conditioner ever) and I was really happy when I got to try the one from Love me Green. The organic conditioner nourishes my hair, it has a wonderful smell of coconut and frangipani flower and my hair regains its natural smoothness without feeling dry after washing it. The conditioner is extremely
gentle, smells amazing and is stuffed with great natural ingredients such as shea butter, cocnut oil, aloe and papaya extract. You can find the conditioner here. Like all products from Love me Green, they
are certified by ECOCERT Green life therefore they correspond to the
ECOCERT bio-cosmetics standard.All products are vegetarian, some even vegan. Even if a few
animal products such as beeswax, honey, or royal jelly are used, they are all
monitored and ECOCERT Green life conditions are met: "There can be
neither parts of the animal, nor shall their extraction stress the
animals or result in pain or death of the animal. They must be produced
naturally.” This is guaranteed by ECOCERT Green life.
What are your favorite after sun products? Do you use any special skin or hair care during Summer? I would love to know :)
Sending you much love and wishing you a wonderful start in the new week!
The other day we had a little matcha party... ... we went outside with some matcha tea and we enjoyed the light of the evening sun while drinking a delicious cup of matcha tea. Are you familiar with matcha tea? Have you every tried it?
Matcha tea is said to be the the highest quality tea available in Japan. Its basically grounded powder of specially grown and processed green tea. For matcha the green tea
plants are shade-grown for about three weeks before the harvest - that is because the lack of light causes the tea leaves to turn dark green and
to produce large amounts of the health promoting amino acid theanine. Hence, it is not only really delicicous but it also has amating health effects. The theanine in tea plants is said to boost immunity and prevent infections by improving the disease-fighting capacity of your organism. Furthermore, matcha is filled with antioxidants which are said to disarm free radicals, reactive oxygen molecules that cause damage to the organism by harming cells, tissues, and organs. Does this sound good? Feel free to check out jomu for more information on this healthiest (and yummiest) tea ever :)
To make your own matcha tea, you need this little brush so that you can whisk your tea until it has these typical small bubbles. Its really easy to make and gives a little extra to this already extraordinary tea!
I have to say that I never had matcha in my house before because it is quiet an invention to purchase this tea. I loved to have a matcha tea from time to time in some of my favorite coffee shops but at home I never got the pleasure. Lucky me that jomu decided to change this and make this little tea party in the garden of our "Summer house" possible :)
Looking at these pictures... don't you wanna join :)?
I have been wearing this casual outfit when we went for a looong walk last Saturday... ... as you may remember from my last post I have been to the Lueneburg Heath for a day trip. This is what I have been wearing :) How do you like these shorts with the prongs? I really like them because the color is just so Summer-like and it fits so easy and wide which makes it the most comfy ever. I just paired it with a simple white shirt - why not ;)!?
I hope you are having a great week so far!? I definetly am! Summer came back with all its power and I enjoy the sunshine and the heeat! I spend most of my days outside with the baby and I have lots of time to read books, plan new posts, study a little for my final exams in nutrition and just enjoy this beautiful time of the year :) Sending you all much love!
I am still travelling around northern Germany... ...with my husband and my baby :) After our stay at the baltic coast in Kiel we travelled a little further south. We are in the federal state of Lower Saxony where, between others, the Lueneburg Heath is located. This is where we went for a beautiful hike on Saturday :)
It was my first time visiting this part of Germany and I really really enjoyed it. I did actually not know that we have a landscape like this in Germany and in some parts it reminded me a little of the US.
In the Lueneburg Heath there are lots of sheeps and this here is a sheep pen - how cool is that? The sheeps are running around freely and when they feel like it, they can find shelther in this sheep pen. I really like this! Also, the flowers above are just now beginning to bloom in all shades of violet. In late August the entire heath is blooming and the landscape turns from green/brown into violet! That must be so beautiful and I think I have to return to the Lueneburg Heath when all flowers are blooming :)
Dont you agree that this is beautiful? I really enjoyed our little hiking trip! I hope you had a beautiful weekend too! What have you been doing? Maybe you also spent some time in the nature? I would love to know :) Sending much love and wishing you a wonderful week!
