So remember as long as you feel good, that's all that matters!

I do have to say it did make my eye shadows last, so that is a promise that the products lives up to.

Eventjes gewoon genieten #soepje #bbloggers #foodie #foodporn #foodstagram

Een foto die is geplaatst door Katrien Hoes (@thefreckledsoul) op 29 Sep 2016 om 4:20 PDT

I can tell you, a cup of soup and you are all ready to keep on shopping!


* picture credit: https://celeatandceliving.wordpress.com

Summer is officially over. Welcome Autumn!
Today I am bringing you a review on the Bronze Collection of Primark’s nail polishes PS. I am not sure this collection is still for sale. I bought them back in June, but I didn’t want to keep this review from you all.
I had to consider whether I was going to post this review or not, since there are rumours that Primark is leaving the Belgian market due to disappointing sales. However up until now these are just rumours. And I simply couldn’t keep this review from you.
When I saw these nail polishes in the store, I immediately fell in love with the copper toned colour in the middle. I hadn’t purchased any nail polishes by Primark before. So I had no idea about it’s quality. Although for only three euros, you can’t really expect big things.
And yes the colour is lovely. However the smell was horrible. I couldn’t stand it. And it wasn’t just until applying the nail polish, the smell was stuck to the nail polish. So even upon drying it would keep on stalking you.
Also application wasn’t easy. It takes a while to dry, plus applying the top coat with glitters messes up the base colour. You would think it would do this if the base colour wasn’t fully dry, but after half an hour you would expect it to have dried completely.
This nail polish was such a disappointment, I couldn’t even be bothered with setting up the studio and camera. These pictures were taken with my IPhone, which is still great quality.
This one is a definitely no – no and will be ending up in the garbage bin. I haven’t tried any other nail polishes by Primark. So I don’t know whether it is just this collection or whether the quality of all the nail polishes are the same. 

Two weeks ago me and my boyfriend had ourselves a little getaway. The main reason that we wanted to get out of town was that during Ascension Day there was a fair and a “Chiro” party planned in our village. And since we live in the centre of the village that would have meant we would have barely gotten any sleep. So it was an excellent excuse to go and explore to world…
Or maybe not that far. Since it was only going to be a midweek, we decided to stay in Belgium. We booked a gourmet arrangement in Butgenbach. This is a small village in the German-speaking community of Belgium. It originally was a part of Germany. But with the Treaty of Versailles in 1920, Germany had to cede control over this area to Belgium.

We stayed at the Bütgenbacher Hof Hotel which is situated in the centre of the town. It has two buildings, there is the main building and there is the annex building. We were actually staying in this last one. The annex building is more quiet since there are only five rooms. However our room was situated right underneath the roof, which meant it had slanted walls. This was not just a problem for my boyfriend who is quiet tall but also for me. One of the slanted walls was located right at the end of the bed so it meant we needed to be very careful if we had to get up at night to go to the bathroom. Also being located right underneath the room meant that if the sun was out, it became quiet warm in the room.

We mainly stayed in the hotel. We did stop at the Baraque Michel on our way to Butgenbach. But we wanted to take full advantage of the Wellness facilities (fitness centre, gym, sauna, whirlpool, steam bath, hydro-jet massage couch, and a swimming pool). So it really was a relaxation getaway.

The restaurant in the hotel was really nice. We had a four-course meal and a seven-course meal included in our arrangement. The main issue I had, due to the fact that I barely eat meat or fish, there were a few course I had to pass on. But we noticed that other guests had told the staff that they couldn't eat certain products, so their meals were adjusted. so we definitely need to keep that in mind for next time.
But on the whole, we were very satisfied with the arrangement at the hotel. The food was nice, my boyfriend enjoyed finishing the courses I didn't eat. The hotel, both the wellness area as the room, was very clean. The staff was nice. There was a little downside, since the hotel doesn't just focus on Wellness, but it is also a family hotel, on one afternoon the pool was very crowded with little children and there wasn't a lot peace and quiet left.

On our way home we stopped in the German city Aachen to do some shopping and to see a bit of the city. But we were both happy to sleep once again in our own bed!

Have you ever been to Butgenbach?

The answer to this is a question would be for everyone different, but I'm going to give it a try.

When you're reading a book, you have to imagine what the character(s) and/or place(s) would look like. By doing this, you'll create your own interpretation of what the writer has written. On the other side, when you watch a movie, you'll jump in a world that's already interpreted by someone else.  So you will need less of you own imagination, and your own contribution is minimized.

Few examples:
- Jurassic Park:
I've had the chance to read the novel written by Michael Crichton, but I had already seen the movie directed by Steven Spielberg. So I've had an idea about what the characters would look like (it's easier to fantasize/visualize when you've already seen the movie . But despite the amazing special effects (the dinosaurs looked almost as if they were alive), the book was better!

- Harry Potter:
Like most of the people I discovered the young wizard Harry, by watching the first 3 movies. But because they were so spectacular, I couldn't wait until the next one was released. So I started reading the books and my opinion is the books were better than the movies.

- Lord of the Rings:
This is the same story like Harry Potter, I discovered it when I saw the first movie in the theatres, but I couldn't wait until the next ones were released. So I started reading the books. There is one thing that I can remember which was very disappointing about the third movie: The part where the 3 heroes (Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli) along with a ghost army are saving the (under siege by the orcs and nearby capitalizing) city of Minas Thirith, was a real page turner in the book. However in the movie this specific scene was disappointing; our heroes arrive with the ghost army and whoosh, bye bye enemies.

Conclusion:
In both cases, you're not sure if the interpretation is correct with the image that the writer has created. But sometimes (for example Harry Potter), the director has to work closely together with the writer to create the image, that the writer had in mind when he or she was writing the story.

All about the money:
Sometimes you notice that it's all about the money when they are making films. A good example is the Hobbit trilogy. I've read the book before the movie and when I heard about the idea of making a movie about it, I was very excited about how they going to do it. But it was not one movie that they wanted to make, but a trilogy. And from that moment I was wondering how they are going to make 3 movies of approximately 1.5 to 2 hours from a book of 300 pages.

Film adaption of a comic:
We all know batman, but it isn’t until 2005, when the movie "Batman Begins"(with Christian Bale) was released that we finally meet the dark mood that's surrounding Batman. And how he has to struggle trying to save everyone even when it's not possible. The mask and cape are not a blessing but a burden that he must carry alone for the legacy of his murdered parents. And that's how the real fans know him from the comic books.
This is the main reason why comic fans are reserved about making a film of their beloved comic book character. But I think that Hollywood now understands to keep the characters like they meant to be.

My conclusion:
I like to read my books like the old fashion way on paper and my movies in HD quality.

Let me just by saying: Thank you for giving bloggers a bad name!

If you don’t live in Belgium, you may not know what Pink Ambition is, as it was only broadcast on Belgian television. Pink Ambition is a reality series featuring five Belgian fashion bloggers. These girls were being followed around in their day to day glamorous lives.
I basically started watching the series because I was following one of the bloggers. Don’t get me wrong, I still follow her, just not as much as I used to. I guess the program may have exaggerated their oh so perfect lives. I sincerely hope they are not so annoying as they were shown on TV.
According to this program, the blogger is an annoying superficial rich kid, who receive free packages all the time. During the entire series, you have not seen them write a single word. They did take a lot of pictures, but that’s it. Then again, visiting their blogs, you can basically summarize their posts into 5 lines of words and tons of pictures.

There have been even rumours about one of the blogger buying her followers.
Let me tell you. I think blogging may be underestimated. It is a lot of work. We don’t just get packages send out to us. First of all you have to prove yourself in the world of a zillion blogs before stores are actually interested in sending you free goodies. I started blogging back in 2011 with my Spanish blog and I am just now getting my first free package. And just one, not ten a day and maybe who knows it might be the only one I’ll ever get. Blogging takes time and sometimes life doesn’t allow us to sit down and write a full page and review it and take pictures and publish it. Sometimes real life just takes priority. And sure, I envy bloggers who can really live of their blog. But on the other hand I think it might be hard to always deliver and I think it’s also hard on your social life, since you are simply writing constantly.

 

The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing, the birds are making their nests and that means it's spring!

The perfect time to prepare and clean up the garden for all the delicious fruits and vegetables that summer will give us. But before you can enjoy all these wonders of nature, you'll have to earn them. And by that I mean that you'll have to put the seed and/or little plants into the ground and take care of them.

For those people who don't have a big garden or live on an apartment, I've written this post on how you can transform your city garden or balcony in a delicious jungle.

But before you start, you'll have to be sure that the plants will have enough sun (one of the basic needs of almost every living thing). Also be sure that your plants will have enough water, especially when they are standing the whole day in the sun. Too much water however is also not good. There is a possibility that the roots will start to rot and then the plant will die.

A fine solution is to plant your plants in a pot that's provided with small holes in the bottom. Before you put the potting soil in the pot, you'll have to foresee a layer of small stones to drain the excess water. This layer should be a few centimetres in height.

For a vintage look you can use every pot you'll find, even the old tea cups of your grandmother (but be sure to ask it before you start making holes in them). You can always add a small birdhouse or an insect hotel in the garden (everyone knows the story about the birds and the bees).

My advice:

• Start small (don't spend a lot of money if you're not sure that you will carry on with your garden project).
• Be creative (you can use every pot, bucket,... you'll find, be sure that there are holes in for the excess water).
• Start simple. After a while you gain experience and you can expand or modify your garden.
• Try to use as little pesticides as possible, go for organic (Mother Nature will thank you)

So when you've got the hang of it, you can try to cultivate more difficult vegetables or fruit. You can even try to improve your infrastructure (for example a watering system or a small greenery).

Some small tips:

• No exotic fruit when you are living in a cold/northern country.
• You can cultivate potatoes in big pot or even in a big bag of thick black plastic.
• Some plants you can cultivate in hanging baskets (for example strawberries).
• Plant some flowers to perk up your garden and to attract bees and butterflies.
• Lettuce, radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots (use a pot that is at least 40 centimetres tall), celery and herbs are very easy to cultivate. For fruit you can start with blueberries, strawberries, oranges (only in warm countries).

At this moment, we've got one pot with a blueberry bush on our balcony. It's because apartment is only temporarily and we're looking for our own house with a big garden.

Tell me all about your balcony gardens!0

Some of you may have noticed my absence for the past week on social media, here’s why I had to stay away from my computer.

For the past two weeks I have been suffering with a bad eye condition. About two weeks ago, I woke up with one red eye. It hurt so bad, it itched. This was on a Saturday morning and since my own GP doesn’t work on Saturdays I had to go to the emergency doctor. Let me just paint you a picture before I continue. I have a lot of allergies, I may have already mentioned this before. One of the allergies I have is for preservatives which can be found in most eye drops, eye cream… So this doctor diagnosed me with an infection on my eye and was about to prescribe me some eye drops. When he heard about my allergy, he basically didn’t know what to prescribe to me anymore, and the pharmacist pretty much had to decide on what to give me. The pharmacist was very friendly and helpful and she found some eye drops that didn’t contain the preservative that I get allergic reactions from. And my eye got better. The redness was gone, the pain was gone too… yep for about four days. Then it came back hitting hard.

So last week Monday was when it got to the worst point. I was at work and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I had to go home from work and called to the eye clinic where I had my eye surgery done. I was lucky to get an appointment that same evening. And there the doctor diagnosed me with a virus, possibly provoked by an allergic reaction to the eye drops the pharmacist had given me. Because of my allergy (and apparently I am also sensitive to Cortisone drops) I got some anti-inflammatory drops. On Tuesday I tried to check my mails and after ten minutes I simply had to stop because it was hurting so bad.

When I went back in to see the doctor at the eye clinic on Thursday, due to the fact that there had been no improvement I got some cortisone drops. After only a day on the drops, I could already feel a big difference. But since I am sensitive to the cortisone drops, I needed to go back to the clinic on Monday to get my eye pressure checked. High eye pressure may cause problems of sight on long term.

I was also given the advice to wash my hands regularly, in order to avoid the virus infecting my other eye. And it basically got me thinking about how hygienic my makeup is or not. I have been researching a bit and I will share with you in my next post how I am sanitizing my makeup. So talk to you in my next post!

I've watched hundreds of contouring tutorials on YouTube. I am sure more of us ladies have searching for tutorials with it being the in thing! So off I skipped to Boots to buy a contouring kit and a collection 2000 cream conceal and highlight kit. I also bought a egg sponge to make the job easier. When I came home I stuck it in the cupboard with all my other make up stuff and forgot about all about it.
While in Primark buying beauty stuff for a girlie day with my mum, I picked up a powder contouring kit. I was inspired to try them both to see which worked better. So I fired YouTube was up and watched endless videos of ladies making it look so easy. So I got my brushes and tried the powder one first. I followed the video and the instructions on the box, blended it out and ended up looking like an umpa lumpa with a bad skin condition!
One to the cream conceal and highlight kit. The kit gave a better result but it still looked horrific. I am very pale skinned, so I try to avoid highly yellow make up products as they make me look very orange.
I may be the only women in this world who hates contouring. I'd post a picture so you could see how bad it looked, but it was washed off on the moment I put my glasses on to see it clearly.
What are your contouring experiences?

 

Can I just say wow? I mean have you seen how beautiful that colour is? You can’t blame me right? I just had to have it. But does it life up to its expectations? Keep on reading to discover how I feel about the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel.

Welcome to part 2 of my online shopping experience. Are you curious to see how the following web stores score? Just follow me!

 

 

Earlier this month it was National Glamour Day. If you don’t live in Belgium or in the Netherlands you might wonder what I am talking about. Let me tell you.

Welcome back to The Freckled Soul! Yay!

About a month ago, we put the site on a hiatus in order to give our offline lives a little breathing moment. But now we are back. At this point there isn’t a fix posting schedule yet. However I want to try, together with my co-blogger to get two-three posts out each week. This way we can keep up with posting as well as our real life obligations. Plus summer is coming, and face it when you life in Belgium and there is just a little bit of sun out, you have to grab that moment with both your hands, because the next two weeks it might be raining as if all hell broke loose. I hope you will enjoy your stay here and keep looking out for our posts! (Pssss Our first post will be coming in one hour)

Today’s post is going to be a little update on what is going on behind the scenes of this blog. As you may have noticed updates have been slow this month. At this moment I have recorded from my third lung infection this year and I am currently taking care of my boyfriend aka Mr. White Wolf who is also an author on this blog.

My boyfriend has had surgery last week. This is the reason that he has been absent at this moment. He is doing better each day but he still needs to recover. So at this point I am doing a lot of the chores around the house, which is why I don’t have so much time to write for the blog at this moment. I did prepare a blogpost or two while I was sitting by his side in the hospital while he was still out of it from the anaesthesia.

So this is one of the reasons of the reasons that I reached out to the third author on this blog, Rachael. She has also been struggling with a nasty cold. We decided it would be a good idea to temporary close the blog so that we could find the time and create a schedule for each of us to post. And also in the little time that we do find to write, to prep some posts so that we can come back stronger!

I will keep you up to date on when we will be back, at this point I am thinking a few weeks, maybe a month at most. This would mean a return the latest by the 15th of April. I hope you don’t give up on us in the meanwhile!

This is the first part, and probably the first of many of our brand new project, which we titled "Project Home".

As I mentioned before, my boyfriend and I moved in together in May of last year. But what should have turned out to be a beautiful dream, turned into the nightmare. I know due to my asthma I am more vulnerable for illnesses such as the flu and colds, but it is the third time this year that I have fallen ill (and we're only February!) and I believe stress and lack of sleep has been a big influence.

We only have been living here for ten months, but you wouldn't believe the things we have had to deal with. It is crazy. There were the weekly parties at our upstairs neighbour. We even caught his friends doing drugs one time in their car on the parking lot, which is supposed to be a parking lot for occupants of the apartments only. I can tell you, with your own car parked aside, you don’t sleeping at ease anymore. We called the cops on them, because we were scared that they would drive off in their car, possibly causing an accident in traffic. Not for their sake but for the other people on the road. Of course the cops decided not to show up.

Another thing that has been bothering us a lot is that we are paying quite a lot of rent for an apartment that is full of defects. We pretty much needed to beg over and over for repairs. And the landlord has been coming up with excuse after excuse not to do repairs. He even refuses to fix some of the things that need fixing. For instance, our boiler needs fixing. We can still use the heating and have warm water, but it is only a matter of time before it breaks down completely. You wouldn't believe the stunt the landlord pulled in order to get out of fixing it. We have a new appointment in a month to have it fix, but there is no way to tell what he is planning next.

Also don't get me started on the real estate agency. They have chosen the side of the landlord unconditionally. They don't care if the landlord is lying, in their eyes we are the ones that are lying and being difficult. The landlord even told them we wouldn't let him enter the apartment to do repairs. Yes, because that totally makes sense. We are the ones whining about getting the defects fix and then we don't let him enter? Sure.

It has really come to a point in which we are desperate. It's scary that you can be scared to go home in fear of what you might find there, or scared to go to bed in fear of the noise the upstairs neighbour will be making.

So I wanted to turn this post into a little request. We have already been getting a lot of tips and ideas from the people that we have been talking on how to deal with a difficult landlord, but if you have any more tips, simply leave a comment below. Or if you can relate, tell me your story. It feels so good to know that we are not alone.

Since about a month, we have digital TV. So now we have the possibility to record programs/series that are too late on the evening or at the same moment as something else that we are watching.
One of the series we (Katerina & I) are watching at the moment,is the historical television series "Versailles".

The story goes about Louis XIV (King of France between 14 May 1643 - 1 September 1715), who is moving the royal court from Paris to Versailles (the former hunting lodge of his father). His idea was to make Versailles the centre of political power. And he succeeded, history learns us that Versailles was indeed the centre of political power from 1682 till October 1789 (start of the French Revolution).

So here's my opinion:
I was a little bit sceptic in the beginning about the series. Because when I saw the first episode, my first impression was that the male characters were a little bit too feminine, with their extravagant apparel (wearing wigs and make-up).
They did their best to make the series as historical correct as possible. For the moment we have already seen 3 episodes (of the 10 in total), and I must admit that I'm a little bit addicted. I can't hardly wait until the next one.
Don't expect big action scenes, but intrigue and romance. 

A visit to the Palace of Versailles with it beautiful garden, is added to my bucket list (I didn't really had one before I was writing this post, but now it's on).

Last Saturday night, my boyfriend and I decided to throw a Fondue night. Nothing too fancy just a good excuse to spend a lovely night with family and watch the latest Gotham episodes. It was also an early birthday celebration for my boyfriend’s brother.

It had been ages since we last ate fondue. We tend to go for Gourmet as it is faster and not such a hassle with the oil.

We started the preparations early in the afternoon. Boiling the eggs, the potatoes and the pasta, and washing the vegetables and cutting them up. We also made a little fruit salad. we wanted to create a little buffet so that everyone could pick and choose what the vegetables that they liked to eat. Once everything was prepared we could relax a bit before having our guest of honor over.

At the butcher’s we got a fondue dish for two, as they usually put way too much meat in it. However this time it seemed to be so little, so we decided to get some extra meat at the supermarket. But as usual there were a lot of leftovers. I think that we tend to stuff ourselves with the side dishes such as the vegetables and pasta, rather than with the meat.

It was a night full of food, family, fun and of course Gotham!

My experiences of online dating has probably put me off dating for life. I've been a member of "Plenty of fish", "Ok cupid" and "Tinder".
On "Plenty of fish" I struggled to find anyone who wasn't severely overweight, bald and 50 with no education to speak off. "OK cupid" was even worse, I received an email from a guy who wanted an 'older' lady to join him and his girlfriend for a threesome. I really appreciated at the age of 28 being called an 'older' lady.
Then to "Tinder" which even though it has a bad reputation I've spoken to some nice guys, never met any of them I must say I get a bit freaked out when they push too hard to meet up or get your phone number. From all of the free sites my worst experience came from "Ok cupid". I don't know if it's just me who seems to attract odd men or if it's the sites. I have the odd flick through tinder from time to time but I've decided for me I need to meet a man in the real world. 

Has it been four weeks already? Time is going fast when you are having fun!

This week has been very motivating for me. At my fifth training session at Infraligne, I got measured. They have several points on your body where they measure the contour, such as the waist, the hips, the arms… Compared to when I started training two weeks ago, I lost a total of 19 centimeters. I can’t give you the exact number of centimeters that I lost on each point of my body as they have kept the list in their files. But I was told that 19 cms in just five training sessions is really good.

They also checked my food journal and gave some tips how to improve my eating habits. I had done a pretty good job on adjusting my meals, but there were some smaller details that could be changed in order to have a better result. Apparently the delicious Greek yoghurt is a no no. And I also need to can’t drink too many cappuccinos or lattes. That last one was sort of obvious, but sometimes I simply need one!

As for as loosing weight, we are still going strong. When I look at the numbers, almost four kilos in four weeks isn’t bad at all. And I don’t know whether it is just my wishful thinking but when I look in the mirror it really seems like my belly is getting less (I hadn’t lost any centimeters at the belly area) and also my bum looks smaller.

TWL (Total Weight Loss): – 3,7 kilo

WWL (Weekly Weight Loss): –0,8 kilo

I am the boyfriend of the beautiful en lovely Katerina. We've met each other on the internet (dating site) for almost one and a half year ago. And we have been living together since May 2015. So I am definitely looking forward to Katerina's conclusion of the internet dating. Am I her prince charming?

One of Katerina's New Year resolutions is to post on a regular base on her blog. But I have noticed that due lack of time (I also needs some attention of her), it's difficult to keep that promise. So I decided to help her and write on regular base some posts.

Because we have different interests (I've to admit: I am not that interested in make-up. Only when my beautiful Katerina has put it on, so that everyone can see what a beautiful princes she is); you will find some different posts on this blog than you're used to.

Stay tuned and prepare for a trip that takes you to the unknown!

This week I am keeping my weight loss at a status quo. This morning I was enjoying a healthy cereal breakfast and suddenly I remember I forgot to step on my scale. Basically I have no idea how things went.

Even though I stepped up my training this week, I ate French Fries yesterday. This is the  reason I am keeping my weight loss at the same level as last week. Plus at the Infraligne trainings I got put on the scale on Saturday and there was barely any difference from last Saturday.

Also I had a pretty bad asthma attack last night, leaving me all messed up and unable to do the cardio workout I do on Sundays. I did do some abs exercises to make up for it tonight.

I will have my measurements taken this week at Infraligne, so I am very excited to see whether the exercises are paying off.

TWL (Total Weight Loss): – 2,9 kilo

WWL (Weekly Weight Loss): –0 kilo

So week 2 of my weight loss journey has ended. I stepped off the scale this morning feeling very pleased and motivated.

After spending my first week of the year (and of my weight loss journey) ill at home, I feared that I would quickly regain the two kilos that I had lost once my appetite returned. It returned on Tuesday, this was when I started eating normal again. So I was so happy this morning that I had lost another kilo this week.

These week some changes occurred in my training schedule. On regular days, I tend to get up earlier to do some abs or leg exercises. Due to a lot of work at the office and the upcoming deadline, I had to put in overtime this week. This meant I had to get up earlier, so this also meant I couldn’t do my exercises in the morning.

On Tuesday I had an appointment with a coach at Infraligne. And I started this program on Thursday. I will tell you all about this training program in another blog later on. However, because of Infraligne, I am unable to continue the gym session that I have been doing since last August. I can still go in for cardio sessions, I just can’t do any exercises with weights at the moment, as they will counteract the Infraligne program, which I will be doing twice a week now. I still want to get at least one workout at the gym done every week. I am also thinking of heading down to the gym next week, after I finish up the Infraligne workout (this only lasts for about 30 minutes) to get some cardio done.

As part of the Infraligne program, I have also started journaling my food intake. I find it confronting to write down what you eat. I have started eating more vegetables and drink at least 1.5l of water. But I did allow myself a little treat, stealing a cookie from my partner yesterday, but only one. My boyfriend is sacrafising himself in eating all the cookies we have laying around the house.

Let me know if you are interested in seeing how I journal my food.

TWL (Total Weight Loss): – 2,9 kilo
WWL (Weekly Weight Loss): –1,0 kilo

Now that you have set a date, here are some guidelines on preparing for your date.

I believe the most important thing is to be yourself and try not to be too nervous. I know, easier said than done right? Dress appropriately, but also wear some clothes in which you feel comfortable.

The first part is picking the perfect spot for a date. I would suggest a public place, but also not too crowded. Meeting up in a discotheque, or a busy bar would make a simple conversation impossible. I would say a good spot for a date is a public park. There you can talk at ease, yet it also provides you with a possibility to enjoy the view in case the conversation goes silent. And it will probably will. But a silence, doesn't need to be a awkward silence. A silence is not a bad thing, there doesn't need to be a conversation the entire time, you don't need to make things up to keep the conversation going either.

When you are meeting each other in a public park, make sure you know how to recognise each other. It can get awkward if you have no idea who you are looking for. You have seen each other's profile picture, but in reality you can both look different. Whether you just had your hair done or whether you are wearing more or less make up, you can look different. However if he does not resemble your picture in the slightest, something is definitely wrong. And you should probably get out of there. If he is lying about his appearance, there is no telling what else he might be lying about.

I would suggest going for a drink rather than going for dinner. Going for a drink gives you the opportunity to have a talk. Yet in case things don' work out you don't need to have it go on and on while you are waiting for the third course. Also be aware about what you are ordering. Remember, you need to make a good first impression.

If you are going for a drink, keep in mind that things have changed and that the guy doesn't necessarily have to pay for the drinks. When you ask for the bill, simply ask whether you can pay your part. This way he can decide whether or not he will invite you. Assuming he will pay just because he is the guy, might also leave a bad impression.

In the end you need to be careful, you never know the person’s real intentions. So make sure you tell someone where you are going and who you are meeting. Having a back up in the same place where you are having your date might be too distracting. However you could set up a sort of warning system with your friend. It would be easy to slip away to the rest room and send out a text message to let your friend know everything is ok.

If the date doesn’t seem to work out, don’t panic. A first date can be stressful and nerve wrecking. Try to simply enjoy your date, you are simply meeting a guy. After you say your goodbyes, give it some time to settle all in. A good night sleep might help you put it all in perspective. Or maybe you just need a second date.

Check this blog next week to read my online dating experience and to discover whether I found my Prince Charming through the internet.

So with my New Year’s resolutions I am afraid I had a bit of a false start. Don’t get me wrong, I did lose weight, just not in the proper way.
I have been ill for the entire week. I had a consultation on Monday with my GP and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection. So I was put on antibiotics, pumped up my asthma medication and was put on sick leave. I remember telling to my partner I wasn’t feeling so ill on Monday, but boy was I wrong. On Tuesday once the antibiotics started to kick in I was completely knocked out. But the problem is that I can’t sit down, even when I’m sick. So I tried to iron and after ten minutes I basically had to stop, I was totally exhausted. There were so many things I wanted to do, but I just couldn’t keep my head focused. At the end of the week, I had to go back to my GP because there was hardly any improvement. So she subscribed me heavier antibiotics and cortisone tablets to fight the infection more effectively.

As a result to be ill, my appetite was gone. I barely ate, didn’t feel like eating, slept through big part of the afternoon, slept during the night. And I still don’t feel like I am quite recovered yet. I hope to feel better by Monday, so I can get back to work.

So this week I lost two kilos, basically it were the two kilos that I had gained over the holidays. I did loose them, but I fear that once my appetite returns I might regain that weight.

On Tuesday I have an appointment with Infraligne for a free figure analysis. I have heard from a colleague at work that she tried it and it worked for her. However it is more expensive than a regular gym. I will surely let you know how that went. Have you ever tried this program?

A few days ago I shared a picture on Instagram to give you a little preview of my next post. And because of the many likes, today I bring you the recipe. This is a new dessert that I discovered. I made it with Christmas when my parents were over for dinner and I made it on New Year’s Eve when we were visiting my family in law. Both times I had great comments. This is a dessert that will a delight on your taste buds.

Personally I used my Kenwood K-mix to make this dessert but you can also use a regular mixer. I only recently got my K-mix so I am still experimenting with it. So let’s get on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

- 100 gr Lotus Biscoff - caramelized biscuit -
- 3 eggs
- 50 gr cane sugar
- 50gr hazelnut paste (you can find this in a specialty shop that sells bakery products, some health-food stores might also sell it)
- 250 gr mascarpone
- Some chopped hazelnuts for decoration

Directions

1. Chop the biscuits up in a blender. Put it aside
2. Separate the eggs. Take two egg yolks - you don't need the third one- and mix it with 25 gr of sugar until its volume has doubled and the sugar has been dissolved completely, obtaining a creamy mixture.
3. Mix the mascarpone with the hazelnut paste and add it to the sugar-egg mixture and mix it well.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites with the remaining 25 gr of sugar, until they reach a firm yet fluffy consistency.
Use a spatula to gently mix the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into the serving cups, until they are half full. Add a layer of the chopped biscuits. Add another layer of the mascarpone mixture until the serving cups are full.
6. Refrigerate for at least two-three hours so that all the flavors can settle.

7. Before serving, add the chopped hazelnuts on top for decoration.