Dining out With Our Baby at Ernie Hemingway

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Philip and I are laid back parents. We dine out every time we get the chance, and Varna was no exception. We were visiting different restaurants every day, but the one that won our hearts was Ernie Hemingway with a terrace overlooking the sea and pretty marvellous interior. letters-to-a-dining-out3-copy
That’s us when we we’re out. Philip behind the camera, me having a glass of wine, and Sofia taking a quick nap before she found out that we are out and about…you know, she has that duty to win the hearts of everyone around.letters-to-a-dining-out letters-to-a-dining-out1 We went for the Bulgarian way, splurging on seafood and other tasty bits.. The calamari and salmon tartar were the definite winners! Their texture and taste were divine! letters-to-a-ernie-hemingway-copyAnd that’s Philip with his minty shirt that just went great with the interior. Was that planned I wonder? :)) letters-to-a-summer-philip-copyletters-to-a-dining-out12
At a certain point we swapped places so that I could feed Sofia and Philip could enjoy the marvellous view. Normally, when we dine out Sofia eats with us (enjoying what I’ve previously prepared and as a bonus munching on some bread.. SHE LOVES IT ) so that she feels as part of the crew. This makes her very happy, which gives us some more time to enjoy ourselves. This time she wasn’t really in the best mood as my laughter interrupted her sleep, but thankfully it was still low season, which meant that the restaurant was half-empty. The service was also exceptional! Our waiter made sure that Sofia-Malou was feeling as comfortable as possible so that we could better enjoy our meal. He even went through the trouble to find us mineral water with low mineralization (basically in Bulgaria you don’t drink tab water and the babies drink only Spring water… in most restaurants, though they offer only mineral water) from Norway without charing us for it.letters-to-a-summer-time letters-to-a-summer-copyMarble Watch by Abbott and Mosley (here)

Do you also take your little one with you when you’re having a meal out?
xoxo
A.

My Face Essentials For The Beach

letters-to-a-beach-essentialsI skipped sunbathing last year, too afraid to expose my bump to the sun. I guess it was exactly when Sofia-Malou was still in my belly that it hit me that spending too much time in the sun wasn’t at all healthy for the skin (and my little one). It’s common sense, but I needed to have someone else to care about to actually stop spending hours under the sun.
Also, I have a blemish-prone skin, which means that every time I squeeze a spot, it’s very likely that a dark spot will appear in its place. If you have the same problem, you are probably aware that sun can only worsen the situation. Exactly because of that I’ve begun applying sun protect and make up with SPF every single day - especially now that its 30 C outside. Aw, and let’s not forget - the closer you get to that 30th birthday milestone, the more you realize the you need to take care of your skin and respect it if you want it to look great in a few decades time. hehe.

My current favourite sun protect is Dr. Spiller’s Aloe Vera Sun Protect € 27,55 (here). I’ve been using their Aloe Vera mask and I was so impressed that I just had to give their sun protect a go. And even though its with 30 SPF, it doesn’t go white when you apply it and gives your skin the needed moisture.
I also bring with me an CCC by Gosh € 14, 75 (here). You probably wonder why… and the answer is - because of the blemishes I have. I apply conceal over the problematic areas every now and then. This little trick helps a lot in protecting the blemish from getting darker than they already are.
I also take with me my Maybelline Baby Lips Mint €4,79 (here) as the sun dries the lips quite a lot, as well as two of my all time favourite my beauty essentials by Clarins - their Hydra Essential Silky Creme €36,00 (here) and Clarins Eye Contour Gel €37,20 (here) to apply after hitting the shower. My skin is very dry, so I can’t stand walking around without a rich layer of moisturiser to make it feel and look dewy. I highly recommend their eye contour gel as its very refreshing for the summer and also deals with the puffiness and dark circles around the eyes (works great for mommies or party animals that sleep way too little when on holiday :). Then I apply my all time favourite Channel Vitalumière Compact Doucer SPF 10 €56,50 (here) to make my skin look flawless. I don’t really use foundation when I’m on a holiday. I prefer to use as little make-up as possible and let my skin breathe when I’m out in the heat.
Marc Jacobs Sunglasses (here) are the last face essential I take with me to the beach - I’m in love with the pinky shade of the glasses as well as their minimalistic frame. I got them on sale from Smartbuyglasses.com and if you you feel like treating yourself with a new pair of glasses - go check out the great deals they have. letters-to-a-beach-essentials2And what are you face essentials for the beach?
xoxo
A.

Getting Summer Ready with Marc Jacobs and Women’secret

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Our mini vacation is going pretty fantastic. Philip and I are already discussing our next adventure and we’re considering visiting Portugal next. We’ve never been there and I have always wanted to explore Lisbon and its beautiful beaches (and taste its marvellous food!). I skipped going to the seaside when I was pregnant and I was way too busy setting down when I first moved to Denmark - hence my craving for travel! I have started stocking up on those summer essentials and I find myself ordering bikini and sunglasses all the time! But hey, I need them, right?letters-to-a-beach
My latest discovery is the website smartbuyglasses.com where I found that 70s vibes round pink (duh!) sunglasses by Marc Jacobs . You can find great deals on there - especially if you have a lot of sunglasses already and only want to add a pair to your funky collection. You can also try them on virtually - which is pretty handy if you ask me. As a bonus, in exchange for your order, smartbuyglasses.com send a pair of glasses to someone in need. I love that!
I got my one-piece swimsuit from Women’secret and that’s the first time I’m wearing a one-piece - but hey, I need to get a little bit more bikini ready before I hop into those bikini of mine. hehe.letters-to-a-marc-jacobs
Have you bought anything summer/beach fresh recently? Let me know in the comments below 🙂
xoxo
A.

Ready for a mini getaway after a busy month

letters-to-a-birthday One of the presents I got for my 27th birthday (yep..) was a ‘family vacation’ to Varna. Philip keeps repeating that - he is turning into the stereotype of a ‘daddy’ - which is also kinda cute.letters-to-a-birthday1Georgia Rose Fifillotte (here) or Guess Plasmia 5 (here) // ASOS Suede Minimal Backpack (here) / White Feather Top (here)

But after a month of doing everything and nothing - meaning running errands, sorting out the moving boxes…without really having enough time to invest in my blog and social media (sorry, for my absence), I’m buzzing to have a few days off from reality. I haven’t been to the Bulgarian seaside for a long time and we’re going exactly there - to Graffit Gallery Hotel Varna (here).graffit-gallery-hotel-copyI’m planning to sunbathe a little, sleep until as late as possible, and go for long walks on the beach with my favourite two. Let’s see what Philip and Sofia think about that. 🙂
I’ll be sharing more about our little holiday once we get there.
And what are your plans for the week?
A.

My Postpartum Body

letters-to-a-yogaBefore I got pregnant I thought I was leading a healthy lifestyle. In reality I was eating a low-carbs diet, exercising a little bit too much and being way too conscious about the foods I was eating.
The thing is - obsessing over what you eat and being a health-freak doesn’t really make you a healthy living being. But it wasn’t until I conceived that I finally got in terms with that that and began to really care for my body and treat it with respect.
I learned that eating less is far more worse than eating small portions but often. I grasped that exercising a few times a week is enough and there is no need for me to hit the gym every single day.letters-to-a-sport1You can find amazing sportswear at Nelly.com (here) and Misguided (here). I got my Nike’s from their official website (here), in coral, of course - the more aggressive colour my trainers - the better!

When Sofia was 4 weeks old, I felt the urge to get back in shape. Dieting wasn’t an option - I was breastfeeding and my understanding of ‘being healthy’ had also changed a lot.
I had gotten into the habit of eating regularly and didn’t feel like doing cardio sessions all the time. I began doing pilates, yoga, and toning exercises all by myself at home while Sofia-Malou was asleep. Believe it or not - my body responds much better to the toning exercises I do on the matt than to the hard core HIIT cardio workouts I was obsessed with back in my pre-pregnancy days.
My favourite online pilates teacher is Boho Beautiful so make sure to check her out. Now I don’t exercise to be skinny. I exercise to get in tune with my chi and boost my energy that I need to have for when Sofia-Malou wakes up from her nap. If you’re also a newbie mommy, you’re probably also aware of the nasty side effects the sleep deprivation has on your psyche. So rather than beat yourself up over the fact that you have no time for going to the gym or your favourite class - grab a mat, a glass of water, and use the 15 spare minutes you have (while your little one is asleep) for doing some pilates . There is no excuse to giving yourself and your body what it deserves.
xoxox
A.