#I have traditionally not posted the christmas card until after christmas BUT... I am excited and impatient 😌

[blujaydoodles]

Happy holidays, my loves! May your holiday bring you the joy of bringing joy to others💕

[dandelliongirl]

New year

And a new decade!

Wow, what an original title.

My Christmas vacation was amazingly cozy. I spent the 23rd-27th of December at home with mum and dad. On the 23rd me and mum went to the flea market to buy yarn and thin knitting needles for my bunny plushie project. We also found an adorable winter themed PowerPuff Girls duvet cover that I got to have in my bed for the holidays.♥

On Christmas Eve I got to watch morning cartoons on mum’s new sofa in my soft Oodie. We spent Christmas Eve traditionally having rice porrige for breakfast, going to take candles to the graves, going to the sauna and having a delicious dinner of smoked fish, salads, roast, mashed sweet potato, fried carrot and parsnip, and a dessert of home made gingerbread ice cream. Then we watched From all of us to all of you and handed out presents. My photo book was a big hit and made both mum and dad tear up. They both loved their moomin themed presents as well. I got Jamie Oliver’s VEG cook book, a radio for my summer house, a face wash from the Body Shop, and some gloves that got mixed up with dad’s at some point. Now mine are pink and mum has a purple pair. My dad also got me a 100 square meters of protected forest that will by law be kept in its natural state forever, which is an incredibly magical and special gift. ♥

On Christmas morning we woke up to the most beautiful snowy landscape and a calm little snowfall. Me and mum shovelled the driveway and went for a really long magical walk to the beach and around our area. The beach was full of little lanterns and candles burning in the snow. In the evening I started knitting my bunny plushie with the instructions found on the book I got at grandmum’s place. Mum helped me get started but I made her entirely by myself. By January 19th she already has a face too, with only a few details missing.

On Boxing Day me and dad drove to see the cousins and mum went to see granny and grandpa. It was really good seeing my cousins again for the first time since I think last Christmas (?), and dad’s cousin visited my aunt that day as well, so dad and his sister got to see their cousin as well. Me and my twin cousins finally made a Whatsapp group, which will make keeping in touch a lot easier.

On the 27th I came back to the apartment to spend some time working on my projects (and play some Sims..). My guy came back home on the 28th and we opened the rest of our presents. We got some cute kitty mugs and some (less cute) moomin pillowcases. I got new socks from my guy’s grandpa and my guy got me the brick oven bakery and the pizza delivery set of Sylvanian Families! ♥ My guy loved his Otamatone and we’ve had a lot of fun with it. ♫

We spent the day before New Years with my twin cousins who came over. We went to a trampoline park and Burger King, and played some Smash Bros Ultimate and Mario Kart. Then we spent about 4 hours until 2 am playing Overcooked. One of the twins works at a fast food restaurant so he was really damn good at coordinating our team. We decided that we would only accept 3 stars and had to spend a lot of time on some of the stages, but it was a blast. My guy is really bad at communication and team work though (heh, sorry) so it sucked for whoever was on his side. My cousins left on the morning of New Years Eve, and our friends came over around 6 pm. We made pizza, talked, went to see the mayor’s speech and watched the fireworks. For once the weather was completely clear and comfortably warm so the fireworks were a lot of fun. After midnight we spent the rest of the night until 6 am playing a quiz game, cards against humanity and Overcooked. I’m so glad I went back to work on the 7th and not on the 2nd.

My New Year’s resolutions this time are to continue working on my crafts and finish at least 2 of them, to only buy recycled items (apart from a couple things that I’ve planned on and needed to buy for a while), trying to spend a plastic free July (no single use plastics or plastic packaging), continuing my photo project with at least 3 photoshoots, working on my grimoire and finishing at least 12 pages, continuing to play the piano and get better at reading sheet music, spending the coziest and witchiest summer at my cottage/summer house, reading/listening to books and stretching/body care. A lot of these are things that are already habits and a part of my life so they aren’t that big of a deal even though the list is long. Mainly my resolutions are there just to push me to continue creating. I have set a date around midsummer/Litha to check my progress. So far piano has definitely already fallen behind so I need to try and pick that back up real soon. I have my new pile of sheet music books to start with.

So my winter has been filled with cottage visits nearly every weekend. At Christmas we went for a bonfire and carols. We have been feeding lots of little birds, walking in the nature and even went ice skating last weekend. This winter has been almost entirely snowless and very warm, and the birds are already singing and starting to nest even though it’s only January. There is no snow on the lake ice so last weekend my mum, dad and I had a perfect private skating rink with some magical sunshine and beautifully frosted trees. These are the moments that make winter worth it even though the lack of snow makes everything so dark, which makes me so incredibly sleepy. Luckily the days get about 7 minutes longer every day. It’s already almost light out when I leave work. Only 3-4 more months until we get to spend more time at the summer house, and soon I’ll be out there on that lake on my SUP board. That place truly heals me and helps me remember what's important in life. Nature is always beautiful no matter the weather, and everything over there has a purpose, unlike in the city.

Almost all of my apple seeds sprouted, and every one of my first saplings has already died from what I suspect is the lack of light. Some of the second batch are still alive, and I’ve got a third batch to plant. Hopefully those will make it to be planted outside. I even picked up a board from our cottage shed to make a windowsill in the kitchen for the saplings.

My guy and I have been enjoying our second playthrough of the Witcher 3, this time on the Switch. I love laying on the sofa all warm and cozy in my Oodie and working on my crafts, or putting photos in an album while he plays. Our PC playthrough was tedious because I had to sit down and do nothing through hours of gwent or side quests. Now I get to lie down and work on my own projects during the side quests. The PS2 era graphics do bother me a bit, but the story is immersive enough and the cutscene quality is not reduced too bad.

The first 2 weeks of work have been pretty decent. I’ve even had a couple of good days. ☼ I’m about to start a rough spring of trainings for both staff and teachers, which will be mentally exhausting, but I will try to keep myself busy with hobbies, and enjoy the coming spring to the fullest. January has already flown by, which is both exciting and scary. As for working out, this spring I’ve got a lineup of body combat, the occasional 45 minute guided meditation class (which I love because last week we had a body scan meditation and that’s my favourite type), HIIT ‘45 whenever I can leave work early to go to class, and ballet.

Yesterday we celebrated grandad's 90th birthday. Lately I’ve been really sad thinking about my aging grandparents. I recently went through my old post cards because I’m planning on making some crafts with them, and while doing that I found all of granny and grandpa’s letters and post cards and got some very emotional flashbacks to my childhood and the stories grandmum used to tell me. After a few glasses of cognac grandpa gave me a really emotional and sweet speech about how proud he is of me and how he remembers the time the swing in their yard broke down from under me and the times he taught me how to ski. He has truly taught me to never give up and be resilient in everything I do. I love my grandparents so much and I want to try and spend as much time with them as possible. It is so unfair that we never get enough time to spend with all the loved ones... Regardless, happy 90th birthday to the best grandpa. ♥ ♥ I love you so much.

Speaking of family and celebrations, I was asked to be a bridesmaid to my friend whom I've known since kindergarten. It is an incredible honor and I really can’t put into words how special it is to have someone who’s known me since I was 4 years old - and now she’s getting married! I will do my best to make her day special, but it is a lot of stress and pressure on me - especially as I’ve never planned a wedding and I’ve only been to 2 in very recent years. Her other bridesmaid got engaged the same week as she did so they are both planning on getting married the same month. We’ll see how that goes, and if one of them has to postpone their wedding or not, but regardless the other bridesmaid won’t have as much time and focus for my friend as I will since she’ll be planning her own wedding at the same time.

I think we only have 61 or 62 days until Animal Crossing New Horizons, and still no AC direct. Instead we’ve had a Pokémon direct and a Smash Bros direct.. If preordering seems worth it and/or there is a Switch console bundle I’ll take the 20th of March off work to go get it in the morning. We were planning on taking a trip to Japan this spring but we’ve postponed it until the autumn since the Super Nintendo World will be opening in the summer, and my guy can earn some money at his summer job.

Me and my friend were going to have a photoshoot today but the weather isn’t great (it’s very windy) and she had a weird stomach bug last night so we postponed. Instead I’m trying to finish up some odd to-do list jobs so that I can start preparing for Imbolc. It’s coming up so fast, but that’s also very exciting. ☼

[annoyingcherryblossomnight-blog1]

Traveling To France

There seems to be rising confusion about acceptable tipping habits whereas touring. Seychelles may be the only most secure vacation spot in Africa however it's important to shield yourself from mosquitoes that carry lot of virus. There are several sorts of Schengen visas - a transit visa, a short-stay visa, an extended-keep visa, an airport-transit visa and a bunch visa (only below some circumstances). In the summertime, France is nearly as popular as Spain is in the winter for these on their European motorhome tour. You could visit to Laeticia Ivanez's Les Prairies de Paris, which is thrilling boutique having numerous glamorous clothes. The Battle of Normandy was one of many world's greatest military clashes and D-Day remains some of the important dates within the history of the Second World War. Netherlands: The Netherlands Embassy, Pretoria, cellphone, 012-425-4500. Switzerland: SA passport holders do not want a visa to enter Switzerland for a go to not exceeding three months. A lot of the coffee drank in France although is a blend of Robusta and Arabica. Be sure to order wine together with your meal, since France also produces the very best wines - whether or not crimson, white, or sparkling wines. France: French Consulate-Normal, Rosebank, phone 011-778-5600. The Eurostar trains are almost 400 metres long (1300 ft) and as soon as as much as full speed, will move each other in seconds! Corsica has excellent seashores that gives actions for travellers. It's a city which is visually interesting and has a wealthy cultural history of the French. The theme park is located just exterior town of Paris and is similar to the US versions, with only some nods to its European locations. Even at present there's a substantial amount of interest in the Battle of Normandy and many veterans, their youngsters and grandchildren go to the realm for a touring trip. The Christmas market in Carnot Square will simply seduce you. It is known as the Capital of the World, and that is true solely as a result of it is being visited by all of the people from all the places of the world. The Musee Carnavalet museum has many archaeological discoveries together with breathtaking historical paintings, sculptures and many others. It's advised take pleasure in your procuring via out the day and then benefit from the Paris delicacies in famous restaurants in Paris. All journeys depart from one of the following stations relying on the Region vacation spot: Gare du Nord (travelling north), Gare du Lyon (travelling southeast) and Gare Montparnasse (travelling southwest). As a travel destination, there are good beaches, monuments, châteauxes, cathedrals, historic places, inspiring churches, mountain scenery, nature, museums, plenty of shopping places, cafés, eating places and bars. Quite a lot of France's many museums and monuments will provide a reduction for senior travellers, in some instances of as much as 40%. The ASOR waybill is for use when travelling outdoors the European Union and requires a set of translations to accompany it. has a section with helpful minibus advice on the place to acquire waybills. Whether or not you're visiting Paris with family or associates, the vacation spot satiates the desires of all the age groups. This is a should see cease because of the Cathedral. You can too take a shuttle bus from the airport, which drops you at the Arc de Triomphe, or at a number of the prepare stations. Staying in villas within the Loire area will let you absolutely explore all that this picturesque part of France has to supply, from its vineyards and restaurants to a number of other attractions. On the whole, the Louvre Museum is a spectacular place to cease at. After this, they might go to any or all of the Schengen international locations as vacationers or for enterprise with out hindrance. Simply ensure that no matter kind of journey vacation you're on the lookout for, you consider everybody that's in your occasion, as some activities aren't available for youngsters under certain ages, so that you do want to contemplate what will likely be acceptable, in any case when you like cycling but have a heart situation, then mountain biking is just not going to be useful! Located between the rivers Cher and Loire, Tours has an impressive old city where you possibly can see the preserved half-timbered buildings. For those fascinated on this period of world historical past Normandy, France has a lot of very attention-grabbing websites. The ancient cathedral that's an epitome of affection additionally has an underground crypt and a small museum for the guests. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries in Europe. Events have a distinct significance in France and travelers can take at varied times of the 12 months. For instance, if you're visiting Germany for 3 days, France and the Netherlands for 2 days every, you would apply on your Schengen visa on the embassy or consulate of Germany. Paris is the very best place on the planet for shopping, so if you want to store follow the locals. A Green Card is advisable when travelling overseas and the insurance coverage company may help with this. A few of the notable ones are Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, Strasbourg Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur basilica, and Notre Dame-de-la-Garde basilica. An unlimited community of border posts existed across the continent which disrupted site visitors and commerce, inflicting delays and costs to both companies and guests. The Alps Maritime is like discovering the true France and even though the Roya Valley is just round one hours drive from the Riviera, it is nonetheless very unspoilt, and the valley itself is famend for its many canyons and with the fast flowing river and mountain scenery, this may very well be the right location for an exhilarating family journey holiday with a number of different activities to choose from, so you may never grow to be bored, just probably exhausted! In 1871 communards killed a bunch of monarchists in one of many chambers, while during the World Conflict II the tunnels were utilized by Parisian members of the French Resistance. With out agreeing or disagreeing, we can say that Lyon is simply excellent for a family Christmas vacation. Guide your one-day to visit Paris well-liked sights. Until you're fluent in French you'll find it tough to ask for instructions, and road indicators might be confusing, especially within the mountainous regions. Do that yourself, and you're positive to get a great flavour of the native atmosphere regardless of where you visit in France. That is why even the development of the Eiffel Tower in the nineteenth century has raised an awesome complaints of the locals as a result of they thought that this «monster of metal» destroys the unique shape of the traditionally rich city. Take pleasure in a meal at the well-known Colombe d'Or Restaurant or sip a beer at an outdoor cafe whereas watching a local sport of petanque. You must pay a tip of 10-15% of the metered fare to taxi drivers; hairdressers ought to receive 10%, and assistants 5%. Smaller ideas of round 1 Euro are affordable for cloakroom and washroom attendants, ushers, and museum tour guides. The authentic magnum opus of artwork maestros like Renoir, Sisely, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas and Pissaro can be gazed at the Musee d'Orsay museum that also has. Provencal traditions say that Christmas vacation season lasts 40 days. Montmartre itself is nicely value a go to if you wish to see what Paris was like within the final century. After all France has many attention-grabbing pure places to go to, but what I actually mean is that you've got higher places to do this kind of tourism, comparable to Austria or Switzerland, which are mentioned in another of my articles. Sometimes, you will cross via a picturesque city, a phenomenal gothic church, and typically, a quaint countryside inn. In addition to the apparent points of interest of one of the world's most famous cities, the area is also residence to the Euro Disney theme park while you will discover many chateaux and historic villages within the countryside surrounding Paris. From Paris, it solely takes a short practice trip to go to this historic site. Aside from the Louvre, you also needs to drop by the Musee d'Orsay, which homes Monet and Renoir masterpieces amongst others, in addition to the Musée National d'Artwork Moderne at the Centre Georges Pompidou, while you go to France. Judging once once more by what's out there in the French grocery store, most French people are not grinding their own beans. Listed here are a couple of ideas of Christmas holidays in France. When staying in Paris, there are many choices from resorts to renting an house for per week or extra. Full bundle holidays are a great way of getting the vacation you need without the hassle and these may be catered specifically to your needs, but you can too select to e-book particular activities for a day right here and there whilst in your holiday. cheap flights ghana However the mode of travel all through France is only one area of tipping that travelers ought to concentrate on; there are other areas the prepared traveler would be involved in. Once you travel to France or plan a holiday in France, you'll have to dine, keep in a lodge, sometimes journey by taxi, and take excursions. They have the advantages of witnessing exciting new locations plus the prospect to make lasting friendships and maximize personal growth by self-discovery. You will discover that this feature can save you some huge cash, supplying you with the freedom to journey extensively without worrying too much about the prices concerned. There is loads you can do in Italy right from visiting historical spots, viewing magnificent artwork works, lovely landscapes, and relaxing on its seashores. Finally, two extra well-known northern European cities, Berlin and Amsterdam, would create an excellent schedule for any visit. This glorious metropolis is among the favorite vacationer locations within the World. It is a broad avenue that follows the bay's coast line and it's lined with lovely palm bushes and flowers. Paris is the most well-liked tourist vacation spot and is visited by approximately 30 million international tourists every year. People from Non-EU(European Union), Non-EEA(European Financial Area) nations who want to visit Europe as vacationers, and who require a visa to enter the Schengen space, are merely required to get a standard Schengen Visa from the Embassy/Consulate of the Schengen country they intend to go to first. Sadly for a lot of of those that survived the initial push from the beaches they had been confronted with stronger German opposition than had been anticipated and lots of more misplaced their lives. Germany: German Embassy - visa section, Pretoria, 012-427-8999. For these flying in from North America, Australasia or elsewhere on this planet, Europe may be an thrilling however barely daunting place. This is likely one of the most peaceful places and folks here reside for an average of eighty three years to 84 years because of the least stress levels. Rouen is positioned on the Seine and is France's fifth largest port. If travelling by motorhome by way of Europe in winter, Spain is certainly the most popular destination. For those who find the service has been greater than expected, indeed exceptional, leaving another 2-3% is customary, and so is leaving the waiter the small change from your bill when paying in money. Additionally to be seen are the pleasant gardens in Paris.

[dandelliongirl]

2019!!!

The year of ME

It’s the 2nd of January and oh boy did December just fly by. I’m sad to be taking down my Christmas tree in a few days..

The last few weeks of work were busy but a lot of fun. We had so many Christmas parties that we barely had enough time for all the meetings and other work. We also got to leave early on Friday the 21st, which was super nice. I went home to my parents on the evening of the 22nd after some much needed me-time and building a cozy Christmas house in the Sims 4. On the 23rd me and mum drove through a literal winter wonderland with trees sugarcoated in fresh snow to visit grandmum, grandpa and my uncle. We helped grandmum with her Christmas cooking and spent a few hours over there before driving back home listening to Christmas music. Grandmum gave me new mittens with flowers and pearls in them that she’s made, and money to go and buy myself a piano book. ♥

The 24th was spent traditionally. I woke up early to watch Christmas cartoons, we had rice porrige for breakfast and went to light up candles at the graveyards. This time I left a candle for my godfather as well.♥ Then it was time for Christmas sauna, although mum couldn’t go (or didn’t want to go?) because her surgery scars are still pretty fresh. It breaks my heart to see her go into the bedroom and close the door and be careful nobody sees her. I hope it’s just because she doesn’t want me to see and it isn’t actually as big of a deal for her but it must be pretty intense having your body go through such changes nonetheless.. After sauna we had a delicious meal (reindeer, parsnip puré, sweet potato fries, beetroot casserole and gravy, with panna cotta for dessert), watched From all of us to all of you (as is tradition) and handed out presents. I got a new set of pajamas, mittens, a giftcard for a pedicure, a giftcard for clothes and a painting (although it’s more like a framed paper cutout craft). Me and my boyfriend also got a present together. Mum and dad really liked their presents as well. I can’t remember if I wrote about them already but I got mum some pajama pants, a new Sauna seat cloth, a shower gel and a hand cream. Dad got a sweater and a Star Wars workout shirt. Both of them got some tea and for our summer house I got a sauna headrest, a book about natural herbs and a bird book.

On the 25th me and dad visited my other grandmum and cousins and had a Christmas lunch with them. My twin cousins are going to start their military service in a few days, which is incredible.. In the evening mum and I went for a long walk and we made pizza for dinner.

On the 26th I went xc-skiing with dad for the first time this winter and it was a lot of fun. I did 6-ish kilometers on my first run this year, which is really motivating. Back in the day 5 km was not even a consideration and now I did it on my first run of the season! Other than that we spent our days until the 27th chilling together and being cozy. It was much needed and so very nice.

My new sleeping cottage was supposed to be delivered to our summer house before Christmas but the truck that was supposed to transport it broke down. Then it was supposed to be loaded up and delivered on the 27th but turns out it was too big to be transported without a permit so I still don’t have it. I hope it gets here soon, it’s been snowing nonstop and it’ll be impossible to transport it in this weather.. I’ve already planned out the layout and furnishings, and even bought a sheephide from my sheep farmer colleague for the main living space. I want it to be spring already!

On the 27th both me and my guy came back to the apartment. He opened my present and I opened my new pair of knit wool socks from his grandpa. My parents got us two board versions of escape room games. We played our first round of The Captain is Dead with little success but it was a lot of fun anyway. On the 28th we went shopping and helped our friend find new frames for new glasses. She came over to try The Captain is Dead with us but we still didn’t win the game. On the 29th I met up with my ballet friends for some frozen pizzas and long chats. It was amazing to see them again since one is in London and the other two have moved across the country. I’m so proud of us for staying in touch since it would be really easy to drift apart now that we don’t go to class together anymore. Every last Friday of the month we tell each other how we’re doing and occasionally message each other in-between.

The 30th of December was spent playing Mass Effect Andromeda with my guy, and for New Years Eve two of our friends came over to make pizza, play Cards Against Humanity, go watch fireworks, play The Captain is Dead (AND finally beat it!) and play The Ultimate Chicken Horse until 4am. We all slept in until past midday on the 1st, my friend left and me and my guy started the Witcher 3 (finally). He’s playing it on my PC because I can’t be bothered to care for Geralt too much as a character and also the game is really graphic for my tastes. I’m reserving the rights to change my opinion on these two points as the game goes on however.

Now that I’m all caught up it’s time for the usual New Years sap. 2018 was a really hard year for me but DAMN if I didn’t SMASH all my goals and achieve so much. I aced my MA thesis and GRADUATED, I found out I passed JLPT N2, I was ASKED for my dream job without even applying for it, I spent 3 AMAZING weeks travelling around Japan and got to cross off Sanrio Puroland from my bucket list. It was the warmest summer since 2014 and I got to spend so much time with mum and dad at our summer house. I got to start a new hobby and tried lots of new things in 2018. Looking at my passion planner from 2015 all my 3 year goals have been achieved and I am so incredibly proud of myself for it. So what about 2019 then?

2019 will be a year to continue the process of reinvention, reassessing and reprioritizing that I was sort of forced to start in 2018 with a new stage in life. That also came with a total lifestyle rebranding in what I eat, what I wear and what I want from my future. 2019 is also a year to dream big and start working towards those dreams. My successes up until now have given me confidence to know that I can achieve any goals, hopes and dreams I set for myself (as long as they’re somewhat realistic).

Being happy and having time to relax are so much easier now that I have a job and I feel like things are exactly the way they’re supposed to be. That also comes with a creeping fear of stagnation, which is why in 2019 I’d like to spend time learning new skills (namely improving my photography and piano) and reading/listening to books and podcasts to keep on learning now that I’m not actively studying anymore. I’d hate to come home from work and waste away on the sofa day after day. In addition to learning new skills and keeping my mind and body occupied I’m going to pay more attention on body conditioning and increasing my flexibility. I finally bought myself a foam roller (a really expensive one at that!) and it’s been worth every cent. I’ve also been following stretching routines and hopefully this spring I could go to a yoga or Body Balance class more often. Another obvious goal is to continue on my fitness path and it is really motivating now that I’ve actually seen results from my diet change in 2018 as well as from starting Body Combat. In more ways than one I feel like 2019 will be my year to relax and spend time on things that matter to me. I’m excited. ☼

So the Tumblr exodus of December 17th 2018 happened and my blog seems largely unaffected. Regardless I’m glad to have a backup of my diary posts just in case. Seems like these random occasional diary posts will continue for now. I’m trying to stick to a minimum of once a month but we’ll see. I’m not going to guilt myself over it since going through my old blog posts I literally wrote which homework I did and on what day. Yes, I know it was mainly to keep myself accountable but still I feel like even though these longer recap posts take hours to write and I might miss important memories or other details the contents are much more relevant than what I ate and which part of the syllabus I revised on what day. Heh.

Happy 2019 - hope it brings relief to the world and success to all the deserving, kind and friendly people. ♥