RED QUEEN BOOK REVIEW

It’s been a while since my previous book review, so I’m excited to share this Red Queen book review with you.
Let’s get started. *Spoilers ahead.*

Red Queen – Summary

The world is divided into people with Red blood, and people with Silver blood. The Red-blooded are peasants, slaves. The Silver blooded are royalty, and they possess certain superpowers, mainly controlling the elements: fire, water, metal, etc., or mind reading and mind control.
The protagonist, Mare Barrow, a peasant-born Red, discovers that she also has such superpowers.
So she is a Red with Silver abilities.

She discovers her powers by mistake, in front of a large Silver audience, causing panic and confusion. Then the royal family lies to everybody that Mare is actually Silver, not Red, to keep everything under control. And they force her to get engaged with their youngest son. In fact, she does not seem to be forced at all. She just kind of raises her shoulders and accepts it. “These evil bastards, they’re taking me from the dusty roads and making me a princess. Damn it. Eh, whatever, I’ll just go with it.” Or at least that’s how I felt about it.

MONOI DE TAHITI – BEST PRODUCTS

Monoi de Tahiti – Best Products is the second part of my home spa mini-series, as it ties in beautifully with the self-care and relaxation theme. Also, I have tested at home all the products presented in this review, so let me share with you everything that I have discovered.

Monoi de Tahiti – What is it?

Firstly, Monoi de Tahiti is a perfumed oil made by infusing coconut oil with Tahitian gardenias. So it has the benefits of coconut oil, alongside the unique perfume of Tahitian gardenia, also known as tiaré flower. The word “monoï” means “scented oil“.

Secondly, Monoi de Tahiti is my current favorite scent. I have discovered it this year while searching for a birthday present for myself. I knew I wanted a body milk and shower gel set from La Maison du Savon de Marseilles. But I went there to buy some products with donkey milk. However, I was lucky enough to discover the Monoi de Tahiti products, and I immediately fell in love with them.

Today I will compare the SEPHORA Monoi Shower Gel and Monoi Body Milk with the Maison du Savon de Marseilles Monoi Shower Gel and Monoi Body Milk.

EASY HOME SPA ROUTINE – HOW TO RELAX AT HOME

Having a home spa night is my favorite way of relaxing after a long day. I love this ritual so much that I get excited about it days ahead.

I have centered this home spa routine around a bubble bath. That is because it is winter here in Romania, so what could be cozier than a hot bath? Now, seriously, let us know in the comments. We are all looking for more ways to relax and feel nice and cozy.

Home Spa Benefits

1. A hot bath relaxes you.

It reduces stress levels and relaxes your muscles. Moreover, the simple act of cleaning your body will help you wash away the day’s worries and troubles. It is the perfect moment to disconnect from the outside and come back to yourself.

2. You get similar benefits as with a premium spa session, but for a lot cheaper.

Great news! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on spa treatments when you can create a similar experience at home. All it takes is a little preparation and the right mindset.

Put away your phone, say “see you later” to your significant other, gather your favorite bath products and you are now ready for your home spa experience.

3. You spend some time with yourself.

It is very important to allow yourself the time to do some things just for yourself. Not because someone else has asked you to. Not to accomplish a goal. But just because you want to do something nice for yourself.

Not everything you do must have a productive outcome. It is OK to just relax and breathe from time to time.

Home Spa Guide

Here is a practical guide on how to have the perfect spa night at home:

CALMING ANXIETY IN 3 MINUTES

I have decided to discover a method for calming anxiety in 3 minutes. And I think I just did. I have been trying it since the beginning of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough. Today I will share it with you in hopes it will help you as much as it is helping me.

It is my main goal for 2021 to be calmer and slow down. To achieve this goal, I have started implementing small habits into my daily routine. And this is how I have developed this technique.

Why do you need it?

We all have to deal with stress and anxiety regularly. School, work, family, worldwide pandemic – plenty of reasons to choose from.

My main source of anxiety is my job. Because of the high workload and sometimes unpredictable tasks, it tends to become stressful when you least expect it.

AFFORDABLE MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

Welcome to my affordable morning skincare routine! This is an updated version of my previous article, day time skincare routine. I have experimented with other products in the meantime, so now I can proudly say that I have found what works best for my skin type.

MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

First of all, the three main steps of my morning skincare routine are the same: cleanser, serum, and moisturizer. However, the products have changed.

All the skincare items mentioned in this video are from BebeTei. This is my favorite place for health and beauty shopping, because they have a wide variety of products, and the prices are super affordable. All it takes is one visit once every 2-3 months, and you will have everything you need for your skincare routine.

I have a normal skin type, slightly oily on my nose. I do not have any sensitivity, acne problems, or scarring, so I have rarely experienced issues with skincare products.

JEWELRY COLLECTION AND ORGANIZING

My jewelry collection has started growing when I was 10. Until then, I only had one pair of earrings and some beaded bracelets that I kept losing. And then I have discovered a pair of silver butterfly earrings that my mom owned. She gladly gave them to me, as she never wore them. It was the first time I ever changed my earrings, from small golden hoops to dainty, silver butterflies. I still have those earrings, but one of them broke, so I have to get it fixed before I wear them again (or show them in a YouTube video).

My jewelry collection

Organizing gets me so excited! I’ve always loved cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of things that I no longer needed. I believe material clutter causes mental clutter. That is why I’m always trying to keep my space – and my wardrobe – as neat as possible. So today I have decided to take you with me through my sorting process.

My top 5 favorite items in my jewelry collection, which you will see in the video, are the following:

• The CIVION pearl earrings
• The PERDITI bracelet
• The “millionaire” necklace
• The silver Fossil watch
• The Zultanite set

I had so much fun filming this video! It has also been an opportunity for me to rearrange my jewelry and put away those items that I no longer wanted to wear. As you will see in the video, I have a moderate amount of jewelry items. But I do feel like this is just enough for me. However, each time I buy or receive another jewelry item, I try to give away some of those that I no longer wear.

The video

A CHILL SATURDAY VLOG – SHOPPING DAY

A Chill Saturday Vlog was born as a result of me trying to spend more time with myself. Because, recently, I’ve been trying to become more social – I know, perfect timing. That is because I used to be the ultimate introvert. My weekends were all about reading and indulging in a home spa routine. It was so annoying when people asked me out because going out would mean less time for my books and hobbies.

But after completing the course The Science of Wellbeing on Coursera, I have discovered the benefits of socializing. I have started to actively search for people to talk to, and it has noticeably improved my well-being.
At the moment I am building the habit of going out with at least one person every weekend. But what happens when you are unable to spend time with somebody else?

A Chill Saturday Vlog

Last weekend, all of my close friends have abandoned me. Nobody was available to go out with me. But, instead of following a normal weekend routine, I have decided to have a “me day”. And this is how a chill Saturday vlog was born.

EASY SALMON BRUNCH IDEA

Introducing: my favorite salmon brunch idea! I would eat this every single day and never get bored of it. That is because it is super delicious, healthy, quick, and easy to make. It takes under 10 minutes, or 5, if you’re a pro like I am.

All the ingredients that I have used are from Lidl, my favorite supermarket. Why? Because they have such a wide variety of products! I do not mind the fact that they don’t have the most popular food brands that you can find everywhere else. In fact, this is my favorite thing about them! Because every time I go to Lidl I love exploring their foods and brands, and I am never disappointed. Their products are affordable and high quality, so I recommend you give them a try if you haven’t already.

You will find a short description of the ingredients and the full recipe in the video. In the meantime, I will leave the prices for each ingredient below (at the time I bought the products, in May 2020):

DAY TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

My morning skincare routine is really quick and easy, the steps are the same: cleansing, serum and moisturizer. I hope you will find some valuable information in this article, so let’s jump straight into it.

Step 1: cleansing the skin (1 min)

Most of the time I use only water to clean my face in the morning. I do this because I feel like using cleansing lotions every morning puts extra chemicals on the skin and strips it off its natural oils. Moreover, this works just fine for me so I don’t see a point in changing something that already works well. Sometimes, about 2-3 mornings out of 7, I will use a face cleanser, when I feel like my skin is too oily.

THE INFORMATION DIET CONCEPT

The information diet is a concept that has been introduced to me in the book The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. The chapter is called “The Low-Information Diet – Cultivating selective ignorance“. I will refer to it as “the information diet” in this article.

*Disclaimer: This is just me presenting a concept that I have read about and resonated with. I am not trying to “convert” anyone, or make anyone do anything. :)*

Also, if you’re reading this, it means it’s time for you to take a 3-minute breathing break.

What does the information diet mean?

In short, the original concept presented by Tim Ferriss consists in consuming less social media and news in order to be more productive, as too much random information distracts you from what is actually important to you.

NIGHT TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

I love taking great care of my skin! But I also can’t wait to get in bed after a long and exhausting day. Which is why I try to make my night time skincare routine as fast as possible – usually around 10 minutes.

This is by no means an unusual night time beauty routine, the basic steps are the same. My skin looks pretty damn good (food and water also play an important role here), so I thought I’d share with you the (great) products that I have discovered and that work for me.

EASY AND DELICIOUS OATMEAL RECIPE

This delicious and super easy to make oatmeal recipe has become my absolute favorite breakfast. And it is very Instagrammable also. 😉

I would separate this recipe into three parts: the oatmeal, the homemade (no added sugar) berries jam and the topping.

THE OATMEAL

Here are the ingredients for the oatmeal (2 servings):

PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE RECIPE

BACK WITH A DELICIOUS PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE RECIPE!

Since so many of you guys appreciated my delicious Mojito smoothie recipe, I have decided to also share with you my new pina colada smoothie recipe!

I have always been a huge fan of pineapple. 😁 I love adding it to fruit salads or even eating it straight out of the can. Therefore, in order to keep things interesting, I have decided to also add it to my smoothies. This is how this recipe was born, and believe me guys, I was simply mind blown by how delicious it is!

Without further ado, here is the recipe for two (big) servings:

PHOTO SHOOTING IN BUCHAREST – SILVERLIGHT

The University Square (Piața Universității) has become one of my favorite places for a photo shooting in Bucharest. Maddie and I took these pictures in October, and I am super excited to finally share them with you!

Photos: Mădălina Spoială

WHO MAKES THE BEST SUSHI IN BUCHAREST?

ARGENTINE STEAK & SUSHI – BEST SUSHI IN BUCHAREST

Argentine Steak & Sushi is one of the best places that I have ever been to, so I just had to review it here on the blog.
If you are following me on Instagram, then you probably already know that I have visited the restaurant on Friday. And the first thing that I can tell you is that they have the best sushi in Bucharest, at least from what I have tasted so far.

I have had sushi from two other locations in Bucharest: Sushi Terra and ZenSushi. These two are similar in price and quality of the products. Both of them are nice and cozy places, with high-quality food and services. But I’d say that Argentine has the absolute best sushi in Bucharest, noticeably better than the other two.

BEST QUINOA WITH VEGGIES RECIPE

I am back with this DELICIOUS quinoa with veggies recipe!

Yesterday was the first time I tried it, and I was amazed at how delicious it is. All I did was: open my fridge, see what’s in there, and start cooking! Some tomatoes, zucchini, lots of onions, some quinoa… Let’s see what we can make out of these. 🙂

DELICIOUS MOJITO SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Yesterday I have created / tested something new: a delicious Mojito Smoothie recipe!

I was inspired by this article about immune boosting smoothies. I have never used lemon in a smoothie, and I was really intrigued by the idea, so I decided to give it a try! And this is how I ended up with my new favorite Mojito Smoothie!

Here is the recipe:

FADED – PHOTO SHOOTING AT AFI COTROCENI

This is the second part of our photo shooting at Afi Cotroceni, from the first day of the 5 DAYS OF FASHION challenge. I have already published the first part of the project a while ago, under 5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 4: SHOPPING DAY. I have received incredible feedback on those pictures, both on my blog and Instagram. Thank you guys so much for your support, your insights really help us a lot! 😃

Photos: Mădălina Spoială

5 DAYS WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA – STARTING NOW!

5 DAYS WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

NO FACEBOOK, NO WHATSAPP, NO MESSENGER, NO LINKEDIN, NO MAIL, NO INSTAGRAM.

FOR 5 DAYS. STARTING TODAY AT 12:00.

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR – DAY 5

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR – LAST DAY

Here we are, at the end of another 5 DAYS CHALLENGE!

You may be surprised to find out that this one was actually easier than the 5 DAYS OF FASHION CHALLENGE, a lot less exhausting. Obviously, that is because I got to live my normal life and not struggle to go out every evening after work. 😅

I wanted 5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR to be a chiller challenge, with less vlogging and more straightforward information, no fancy pictures and daily updates about how to eat healthy. (But don’t worry, vlogging will be back really soon.)

Impressions

In the first day of the 5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR challenge I wrote that I am not sure if I am going to be able to complete it. Today, I can only say that it was unbelievably easy!

I may be a sugar addict. I was. Maybe I still am. Many of us definitely are, without even noticing it. I have tried to quit sugar for good several times, and only succeeded to do it for 3 consecutive days at most. But after that I would start to feel an actual, physical need for something sweet. Smokers may relate to this.

I am still surprised at how easy it was for me to stay away from sugar for 5 days. It was so easy that I can’t even feel proud of myself, haha. 😆 Now I dare you to take on this challenge! And even try to surpass me, if you can. Keep me posted on your progress and I’m always here to help and provide tips and support!

Today’s menu:

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR, DAY 4

I’ll admit, I felt a bit of a sugar craving during DAY 4, but I got myself an orange juice and fixed it. Let me share with you some secrets on how to avoid snacking on unhealthy stuff:

1. Eat enough on your main meals, so that you don’t feel the need to snack later.
2. Always have healthy snacks with you (fruits, nuts, delicious homemade chocolate oatmeal) so that you don’t turn to the vending machine whenever the cravings strike.
3. Research delicious healthy snacks (oatmeal, smoothies, fruit salads) – be creative! Knowing that, after the lunch break at work, I get to eat my oatmeal, makes me super, super excited! Find healthy alternatives that get you excited, and you won’t even have the time for other unhealthy stuff!

 

Here’s what I ate during DAY 4:

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR, DAY 3

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR – HOW TO COOK QUINOA DAY

You will learn how to cook quinoa at the end of the article. Until then, here are my thoughts about day 3:

Who would have thought that it can be so easy to avoid sugar and that there are so many food options out there? I am really having a lot of fun experimenting with so many delicious, processed sugar-free meals and snacks, and I totally recommend you to also try this out, at least for 2-3 days! 😃

If you want more food inspo, make sure to check out what I ate during DAY 1 and DAY 2 of the 5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR CHALLENGE!

Here’s my DAY 3 menu:

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR, DAY 2

Today I will share with you my chocolate oatmeal recipe. Sugar-free, of course. But first, 5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR UPDATES:

Wow, this is going a lot better than I expected! It’s already the third day of the challenge and I don’t have any noticeable sugar cravings so far – which is pretty unusual for me, I have to admit.

I have found out that one of the secrets is to eat a lot on your main meals, so that you feel full and don’t feel the need to snack on unhealthy stuff later.

Here’s what I ate during DAY 2:

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR, DAY 1

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR, Day 1 went incredibly well, without noticeable sugar cravings, and delicious sugar-free meals and snacks. Here’s a short recap of yesterday’s menu:

*I do intermittent fasting, so I don’t eat anything before 12:00 at noon. That is why you won’t find any “BREAKFAST” section below.

5 DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR CHALLENGE

“5 DAYS, NO SUGAR” CHALLENGE, STARTING TODAY!

My new 5 DAYS NO SUGAR challenge starts today. It makes me pretty nervous because it is the first challenge when I’m not actually sure if I’m gonna succeed or not. But I do have high expectations. So I’m gonna make it.

As you have probably seen if you are following me on Instagram, this weekend I went on a short trip and I have broken many of my culinary rules (no sugar, no pasta ARRIBA bring it all).

So I have decided I need a detox. And by “detox” I don’t mean drinking fancy expensive juices which promise to turn me into a vegetable. I mean eating healthy and giving up on things which affect me in a negative way (sugar, refined carbs, unhealthy snacks).

5 DAYS OF FASHION – CONCLUSIONS

Living the life of a fashionista

I remember writing the article announcing the beginning of this series, and I can’t really believe it’s already over. It feels like so little time has passed, yet so many things have happened. Lots of videos, pictures and fashionable activities.

The purpose of this whole experiment was, I repeat, self-discovery. I wanted to live the life of a fashionista, and I did! 😀 I chose not to wait until “I have the money” or until “I’ll have more time”, I chose to do it now. Because that’s how things happen – in the now. Not in the future nor in the past. If you want to do something, do it now. Because tomorrow will be just like today and just like the day after and the day after and the day after. Nothing will change. You must change things.

I have learned several things by pushing myself to go through this challenge, and I would like to share them with you now:

5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 4: SHOPPING DAY

Almost there…

This whole fashion week has been a lot more intense than I’ve expected, a lot of things have happened, I have learned so many lessons and I have pushed myself outside my comfort zone every single day. Which is why, again, I recommend all of you to also join me in this challenge, or any challenge of your choice.

The thing that made it so intense for me was also the fact that I have made it public, so I had an extra reason to stick to it. Maybe if I would have kept this experiment for myself, I wouldn’t have gotten to the fourth day and I wouldn’t have done so many things related to it. I am really glad that I have taken this decision, thank you so much everybody for being with me! I have received so much support from you guys, and I am extremely grateful for that! 😀

5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 3: MOVIE NIGHT

Wow, we’re halfway there!

Today was a beautiful day, super productive and fashionable. I have managed to do everything that I had in plan (which you will see in the checklist below), and I am really enjoying every moment of it, this experiment is an amazing way to discover what I like and what I don’t like. 🙂

Of course, I can’t go to fashion shows or restaurants every day, especially because I have a full-time job, but I am doing my best to do as many “fashionable” things I can during one day – wear makeup, style my hair, plan my outfits, go out, take a lot of pictures, be super active on social media and so on. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I do, and thank you s much for joining me in this experiment, for watching and for voting on my Instagram stories!

Below you’ll find the daily recap, if you have any comments, please leave them in the comments section or on Facebook and Instagram!

Time for some Gossip Girl! 😀

5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 2: WORKING DAY

Day 2 was a bit milder than the first one, because it was not only about fashion, but work also. I have checked a lot of items on my list, you’ll see it below, and it was an overall productive and fashionable day. 😀

After the daily recap from below, you will find some pictures that Maddie and I shot last summer. I never got the chance to share them with you, and I am super excited because I have started to see such a huge improvement, both for Maddie as a photographer and for me as a model, after looking at old pictures versus new ones.

I leave you with the 5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 2 RECAP and the photo shooting, and see you tomorrow for day 3 of the challenge! 🙂

5 DAYS OF FASHION – DAY 1: SHOOTING DAY

Wow, this day was intense.

First of all, if you haven’t seen my Instagram stories, make sure to check them out daily. I am going to post all the live updates there.

Before sharing with you the recap, I would like to write a few words about this whole challenge.

Five days like a fashion girl

The purpose of this experiment is self-discovery, that is why, on my Instagram story, I have also encouraged you to do it. I have decided to live five days like a fashion girl in order for me to find out what it actually feels like, and whether I like it, or not.

So far, I can say that I’m really enjoying it. But there are 4 more days to come, so  who knows what’s gonna happen next.

My main problem regarding sharing this personal experiment with you was the part where I had to film myself talking about it. At first I have hesitated a lot, because I was so worried about what people would say about me if I do this. And then I realized that, if everybody cared about what others think about them, then we would all be the same, doing the same things and obeying all the rules, whether we like them or not.