Family matters

It is very strange how you start appreciating what you've had only after you lose it- it is, my dear friends a gospel truth. It has been 4 years since I've lived far away from my family and I cannot fully express the sadness of all those lonely holidays and birthdays that I have celebrated being away from the only people who love you no matter what. I have missed all those heart-to-heart talks we used to have with my grandmother. I miss my father and his sarcastic comments . I miss my mother and her 'bitching' about everything i do wrong ( in her opinion) . The thing is that me and my mom were not real close .. I mean not until I have made a move to Cyprus. Now we are like real close friends. I can share almost everything with her. And it is my dearest grandma with who I can share absolutely everything that's going on in my life and that is how it was for the greatest part of my life. Oh well. that is supposed to be a funny post not a teary one . Anyways, I was gonna tell you about the phone conversation with my mom. It took place last week.
You see, I have a brother, he is 10 now ( we have a big age gap ).

And he has been growing up without me being present in his life mostly, but I still love him dearly. He is such a funny little fella!!!!! Well. my mom told me that she found a note ( more of a chat-on-paper thing, if you know what I mean) between my bro and his friend from school. It went something like this:
His friend said that some girl said or did smth.
My bro: she has PMS.
His friend: what is PMS?
Bro: Psychological Moral Stress. It lasts 3 to 4 weeks or 3 to 4 months.
Friend:   no, she is just stupid..
OMG, when my mom told me this I just couldn't stop laughing. I mean, From where a boy of 10 would know a word PMS and even create an explanation for that one- not very far from truth I gotta say :))) hahah
Ciao, have a good one!

My Review of Burt's Bees Radiance Healthy Glow Gift Set

Originally submitted at Fragrance Direct

Sample an assortment of products from our Radiance line in travel sizes that give you a healthy glow, even on the go. Contains: radiance day lotion 7g , night cream 7g , radiance lipshimmer 2.6g, radiance eyecream 4g, radiance facial cleanser 20ml

Burt's Bees Radiance Healthy Glow Gift Set

So far, so good.

By Lingual from Nicosia on 10/13/2011

4out of 5

Pros: Effective, Easy To Use
Cons: Not a very nice smell
Best Uses: Travel, Keep In The Bathroom, Daily Use, Woman
Describe Yourself: Budget Oriented

It hasn't been long since I have started using these products, however in the last days I have noticed difference with my skin- it really has become very smooth and radiant. However I find the smell a little unpleasant, but I guess that is just because the product is organic and doesn't contain any artificial fragrance, a anyway it is the results I am looking for.I will be continuing using it, hopefully the results will be even better with the more continuous usage.

(legalese)

Do It Yourself:Braided Marni Bracelet

Do It Yourself:Braided Marni Bracelet
Such an amazing idea!! definitely on my to-do list! :)

Mazotos Camel Park - a fantastic place for the whole family!

Hey there guys! It is another overwhelmingly hot summer day in Cyprus!

Summer is definitely in full swing now!
This weekend was a great one- full of swimming, sun-tanning and fun!
On Sunday I have visited for the first time Mazotos Camel Park ( 11km from Larnaca in the direction of Kiti village) and I am wondering why have I never went there before!! It is such an amazing place!

The entrance fee is 9 euros for adults (which includes entrance fee, camel ride and admittance to the pool ).The whole territory is not very big but very picturesque :)

And there is definitely a reason why it is called Camel park :)


There are a lot of camels there! and they are sooo cute!!!


I did go on that camel ride -wohoo - that was one hell of experience! My heart almost stopped when the camel was standing up from the lying position he was in when I got on :)



There is also a setting of how beduin tent looks like ( had loads of fun there making pics with all the decoration available there- sword, hookah etc.)

The place also boasts a cafeteria where you can get a lunch .
And there is also a small zoo called Noah's Ark with a very small variety of animals: Horses, goats, donkeys, camels (of course) , rabbits, two tired-looking porcupines, chickens and peacocks.


And after heart-stopping camel ride and ahhing and oohing at the animals we hit the swimming pool :) ahhh bliss..
So when you are in Cyprus , definitely check this place out!! Cheers!!

Ohh La la!! pin-up girl lookalike

Good day everyone!

I had so much fun playing this game! You can create a princess or anime or , like in my case, a pin-up doll which will look like you!well, sort of anyway ;)
this is how mine turned out :


I am so loving the result ( however in my case for this beauty to look just like me , should have added some more inches *ahem* , but yours truly is not too familiar with photoshop ( which hopefully will be changed in the nearest future ;) )

So go check this awesome website and create as many funny images as you want! Cheers! have a lovely day!

Beach,friends and cocktails..life is goody-good .

Last Thursday me and two of my best friends went to the beach for a day of fun, relaxation, tanning and of course, cocktails . YAY!! what can be better?
The beach we chose for this purpose was Lady's Mile near Limassol. And I have to say I absolutely fell in love with it! The water was unbelievably blue and clean, the sand was pretty good as well ( however I have to say, the sand in Ayia Napa is better in my opinion, but since we rented sunbeds it was not an issue) , there were not too many people . There was even a platform in the water from which I was diving ( oh that was loads of fun , remembering how to swan dive hehe ) .I say : bliss. We had loads of fun ( and 'sex on the beach' -yes, please :) ) Ahhh too bad its a bit too far from Nicosia to go there more often.

Summer heat has finally reached Cyprus shores..urghhh

Hiya everyone. Summer is finally here and today Cyprus has had a pre-view of what its gonna be pretty much until October, the temperature was up 37 C.. Thank God for air-cons!!
But I wanted to talk about something else. What wonders me every year is the phenomenal appetite I seem to acquire with the summer days..Unbelievable! One would think that with all this heat it would be absolutely opposite! but no! lucky me- I tend to get hungry and crave for food much more than in colder days..URGGGG!! It is SO annoying - with the beach season and all.. In the previous weeks I have successfully managed to gain almost all the weight that I have shed in the spring months. Have no clue what to do ( well, I am not being absolutely honest here- I do know what to do: find the will power , which is shyly hiding somewhere deep-deep in me and stop shoveling all those carbs in my body! ! YES to veggies and fruits from now on! HURRAY to revolution! ;)

wish me luck !!

I just need you now...

The song which has been constantly playing in my head is "Need you now" by Lady Antebellum. I love absolutely everything about it- their voices, the lyrics, the melody. I guess every single one of us has found herself in a situation when you cannot help but thinking about that special someone and your hand involuntarily clutches the phone..yeah, been there, done that.. While listening to this song I remember one too many nights that i have spent thinking about why ever everything went wrong and whether there is a chance to make things right.. you can watch the video here .

Мулатка-шоколадка: как сохранить загар надолго

Конец лета, заканчивается отпуск, а как же хочется сохранить свидетельства о нем еще хотя бы на пару месяцев. Еще в сентябре твоя кожа напоминает самую вкусную шоколадку , а уже через пару недель снова становится светлой. Загар… Мы так стараемся приобрести его, к каким только средствам мы не прибегаем для получения ровного, красивого шоколадного оттенка кожи и , конечно, хочется сохранить его подольше.
В данной статье мы поговорим о том, как помочь загару, добытому таким трудом сохраниться подольше.

Итак, в первую очередь кожа после отпуска нуждается в увлажнении, увлажнении и еще раз увлажнении! Поддерживая кожу увлажненной – самая важная задача! Сухая кожа трескается, и загар спадет гораздо быстрее. Поэтому каждый раз после принятия душа, каждый раз после принятия солнечных ванн, обязательно увлажняйте кожу, и вы заметите разницу.

Еще лучше, если вместо простого лосьона использовать специальный закрепитель загара. В таком средстве, как правило, присутствует не только мощный увлажняющий комплекс, но и целый коктейль антиоксидантов – витамины А, Е и С, которые нейтрализуют действие свободных радикалов, которые неизбежно появляются в клетках кожи после усиленного приема солнечных ванн и провоцируют ее преждевременное старение.
Также не стоит отказываться от пилинга. При нахождении на солнце под лучами ультрафиолета наша кода испытывает стресс и запускает своеобразную систему защиты, при которой начинается выработка меланина, а сама кожа реагирует на избыток ультрафиолетовых лучей утолщением рогового слоя. По возвращении домой , в обычные условия, ороговевшие частички эпидермиса перестанут держаться друг за друга и начнут отпадать ( наверняка все мы замечали иной раз данную ситуацию после возвращения из отпуска), а вместе с ними будет исчезать и загар. При чем смываться он будет неравномерно, пятнами. Чтоб этого избежать, необходимо провести мягкий пилинг. Он, конечно, сделает цвет немного светлее, зато кожа будет выглядеть намного свежее. Да и последующее увлажнение будет гораздо эффективнее и как следствие загар продержится дольше!

Для пилинга лучше выбирать скраб с более мелкими полирующими частичками и массировать кожу мягкими движениями. Как альтернативой фабричным средствам можно воспользоваться кофейной гущей. Этот скраб слегка маслянистый, придает коже золотистый оттенок и восхитительный аромат и помогает бороться с целлюлитом.

Специальные ванны также помогут поддерживать золотистый оттенок. Возьмите 3 столовые ложки голубой глины, смешайте ее со столовой ложкой хны, чайной ложкой корицы (если у вас нет на нее аллергии) и добавьте в ванну. Время приема ванны – 15 минут.


Стоит сказать несколько слов о поддержании загара, так сказать, изнутри. Загар очень любит витамин А. Можно найти также витаминные комплексы и биологически активные добавки в аптеке, только переусердствовать с ними не стоит- можно заработать себе гипервитаминоз . Зато продуктами, которые содержат нужные витамины, можно лакомиться без опаски.
Налегай на арбузы, дыни, морковь и красный перец. В них содержится бета-каротин – он считается одним из самых сильных природных активаторов и закрепителей загара. Миндаль, оливковое и подсолнечное масла содержат много витамина Е, который борется со свободными радикалами. Также на пользу пойдут продукты, богатые тирозином и триптофаном, из которых после долгих превращений образуется темный пигмент меланин. Ищи эти аминокислоты в говяжьей и свиной печени, красном мясе, жирной рыбе и финиках.

И конечно же при ведении борьбы за продление загар нужно отказать от средств содержащих отбеливающие компоненты . Если средство содержит идрохинон, арбутин, койевую, аскорбиновую или азелаиновую кислоты, отложи его в сторону. Эти вещества обладают отбеливающим эффектом. О масках для лица с толокнянкой, тысячелистником, солодкой, лимоном, огурцом и петрушкой клубникой, калиной, красной смородиной тоже стоит на время забыть. Зато маска из помидоров поможет не только очистить лицо, но и поддержать загар. Смешайте мякоть помидора с соком моркови, заправьте маску сметаной, выложите на марлю и наложите ее на лицо на 15-20 минут. Смывать желательно черным чаем , да и вообще стоит заменить утренние умывания на ополаскивания лица чаем или протирание кофейными кубиками льда.

Также стоит отказаться от походов в баню. Под воздействием пара и высокой температуры в клетках кожи усиливается обмен веществ, она глубоко очищается, и шоколадный оттенок заметно бледнеет. К тому же жар вызывает усиленное потоотделение, и организм теряет огромное количество влаги. А загорелой коже, и без того иссушенной жарким солнцем, это совсем ни к чему.

Если следовать этим простым советам то ваш замечательный летний загар, а вместе с ним и превосходное летнее настроение , обязательно продержаться с вами долго!

Home made brown sugar honey lip scrub

OK I know that I will not discover America with this post but for me this was like a revelation!!! :) seriously!
A couple of weeks ago my friend was visiting me here in Cyprus. Her being from USA her make-up bag contained a number of items new and interesting to me . One of the things she was very kind to let me try out was sugar lip scrub by Sarah Happ. I loved this thing!! Not only did it leave my lips soft and smooth, it also tasted like a dessert ( not that I have eaten it or something, just some of the product gotten in my mouth when i was rinsing it off).
I wanted to have the same thing at home, alas, Cyprus seems to be very far some-products-wise and secondly, the Sarah Happ scrub turned out to be quite pricey (that was me considering the option of ordering it on-line , like I do with many other things which are missing in CY). Anyways, I had a brilliant idea- why not try and do it myself, how hard can that be? My lucky guess was that the only ingredients I will need are brown sugar and honey, both of which I had at home :) So what did I do ( mind you I did everything intuitively and i didn't follow any recipe ):
- washed a small box from the Body Shop body butter;
- put some brown sugar in the box;
- pu honey (I was pouring small amounts of honey and stirring it with the sugar until i got this nice sticky consistency )
- then I added a couple of drops of coconut oil for hydration.
That's it! simple as that! Try it -it's easy and fun ( makes you feel kinda like an alchemist :) )
Cheers!!!