A letter to my Son- Courage

My Dearest Son,

in everyday life, you need a lot of courage. You need to be brave to ride a bicycle for the first time. Put that helmet on, hold the handles firmly, put your feet on pedals, and go. Even if you fall once, twice or ten times. Stand up. Have the courage to face this challenge again tomorrow. Nothing feels better that victory after you were about to quit.

You need to have the courage to speak up your mind. If all your friends love football, but you prefer tennis- say it at loud. If you're not a fan of computer games- say it out loud. If you don't want to smoke that cigarette, drink that beer or smoke that skunk- say it out loud. You need the courage to be different than others. Well, we all are different, so do not compare yourself to others. There will be always somebody younger and somebody older than you, taller and shorter. Slimmer and fatter. Richer and poorer. Just be the best version of yourself.

Have the courage to be a good person. Protect the ones who can not protect themselves. Share. Share your love, your food, your belongings with those, who have less. Never turn your head away from hunger and poverty. Have the courage to love whoever you want. But allow this love to grow organically and care about it a lot.
Have the courage to chase your dreams. Even the biggest, the craziest, the ones which seem unreal.

And never stop dreaming.

'It's tough' you may think. 'What about a fear'? Fear is a part of human life. It will always exist. Accept it and learn to live with it.

In the moment of hesitation, remember that I decided to bring you to this world because I was certain that you will be brave enough to live your life to the fullest. I hope I did give you all of the tools needed.

Courage is the secret of life. It is what freedom is made of. And only a brave man will be free.

My Love, have the courage to say to me 'stop' when I treat you unfair. I hope I'll never will, but please- do. And encourage me to have the courage to be myself forever. I love you!

Mum x

My favourite summer vegan perfume! 'Tahitian Gardenia' by Pacifica

The sense of smell is very underestimated. It clearly isn't as important in our life as vision or hearing are, but this sense can take us on a journey to a different world. I truly believe that scents can determine our mood and feelings. Some of them are uplifting, some relaxing. Some rather depressing 😃
I love perfumes and the magic they ooze around people.  I am extremely sensitive though! Most of the mainstream fragrances give me headaches or make me nauseous. Or both! A bad smell can really ruin my mood. Not to mention that a vast majority of perfumes is not cruelty-free!
Finding a delicious, unique cruelty-free or vegan scent very is tough. Luckily, Pacifica is ready to accommodate a client like me!

As Pacifica's products aren't very widely available in the UK, (except some online stores and selected Holland and Barett branches) I have purchased the Tahitian Gardenia perfume online. Without giving it a sniff before (what a risk 😁). As soon as the perfume arrived, I fell in love with it!

It is an exotic combination of Jasmine, Sweet Orange, Tea Leaves and Ylang Ylang. The first thing that comes to my mind, when I smell it, is a group of hippies dancing in Tahiti. Yes, Frankie is there, too! It is a scent of happiness, joy, relax, and freedom. Floral with a bit of citrusy zest to it, too. It's fun and elegance in one!

The bottle really represents the scent very well. It's pretty, it's fun and it is quite small so easy to store. The longevity of Tahitian Gardenia is decent (it lasts around 5h on me). I wish it was a bit more long-lasting, but for its price (£20 for 29 ml) is great.
This certainly is my new favourite summer fragrance!

I am excited to check out more Pacifica products in the future, especially their perfumes!
What is your favourite vegan or cruelty free fragrance? comment down below. Thanks for reading! x

'Girls can do anything a boy can do and more'! 'Anne with an E' review

Amybeth McNulty in an opening of 'Anne with an E'. Photo credit: Netflix and CBC Television

I was lucky enough to discover the power of literature as a young girl. One of my favourite pieces of furniture in my family house was an old bookshelf in my bedroom. It was filled with books. Some of them were old, some new, but all so special to me. One of the novels I loved the most as a child was the 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I will never forget it's cover- a beautiful red-headed young girl sitting on a porch of a beautiful house, filled with plants and flowers. It was intriguing for a youngster like me. So magical. It looked like this pretty girl with plaits wangled her way into the Secret Garden. 'Anne of Green Gables' is one of those books which will always have a place in my heart. I was captivated by a story of an orphan with great imagination, great dreams and even greater personality. It was sometime in April I have read on one of the blogs that Netflix and CBC are coming out with a series based on one of my favourite books of all time. I was so excited!

Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley in 'Anne with an E'    Photo credit: Netflix and CBC Television

The first question that appeared in my mind after I've heard about the series was- who is going to play Anne? This character is so unique and quirky that bad choice of an actress would have ruined the series. But Amybeth McNulty is great! 
Her charisma and natural talent, along with great acting skills, helped her to create Anne I love. With her pride, garrulity, forgetfulness, flippancy, sublimity and her love for pathos.My heart grows with excitement when I see that the new generation of actors is just so good.
The cast of this series is fantastic. They all are just the way I imagined them. Marilla (Geraldine James) distinguished and cold. And always shy Matthew (R.H. Thomson). Diana, with her black curls and cute dimples in her cheeks (Dalila Bela). And Gilbert! Oh, Gilbert. Lucas Jade Zumann is a dream Gilbert. So intelligent, withdrawn, noble young gentleman. Do I need to mention that I had a crush on Gilbert growing up? The script of 'Anne with an E' is very well written. I liked some of the slight changes and additions to the original story. Some of them were a little bit incomprehensible to me. One thing I have to say, though, no other adaptation of 'Anne of Green Gables' is like this.

Dalila Bela and Amybeth McNulty in 'Anne with an E'    Photo credit: Netflix and CBC Television

The cinematography and edit of 'Anne with an E' are just beautiful. I love the modern way of filming and the sublime game the light and the shadows play to portray Anne's feelings and emotions. So clever. 
The costumes and scenography are excellent and totally believable for the period. 
I can not stop to enthuse over the incredible opening of this series. It is breathtaking, poetic and symbolic! Thank you, Alan Williams and Brad Kunkle for bringing a bit of magic to my life! The beauty of their art, combined with an iconic song from 1996 ('Ahead by a Century' by the Tragically Hip), created an intro which certainly is ahead of a century!

I adore the powerful feminist message this series sends, as well as the fact that the series creators didn't remain indifferent to child abuse and bullying.
However, this is a very bleak adaptation of  'Anne of Green Gables'. What the series is lacking, in my opinion, is just a bit of humour. The novel is a lighthearted comedy, and to me, this is its best quality. This is what made me reread this book over and over. I laughed a lot reading the novel, but I only slightly smiled a few times, watching the series. In 'Anne with an E' Green Gables is not Anne's safe haven anymore. It is almost as dreary as her past life. As much as I understand the reason behind it, I wish the series was just a bit more colourful. 

Nonetheless, it was a great to see a modern take on my beloved story, and I am happy I got to spend a weekend with my long- time- no -see- friend.

Packing your baby swim bag

Hi there, if you're reading this post it means that I have convinced you to join the baby swimming lessons! Awesome! I am sure you will love it.

Here is a list of what to pack:

For your baby:

• swimsuit,

• towel,

• swimming nappies,

• dressing gown or a hooded towel,

• nappies,

• nappy cream,

• wipes,

• changing mat,

• spare set of clothes (in case the clothes he/ she  came in get wet- extremely common in the swimming pool's changing room, right?)  :) 

• cotton buds to clean and dry baby's ears after swimming (be careful when using them, though),

• small, waterproof toy or a dummy (if you use one) to keep him/ her busy while you are getting dressed  

• something to eat: a warm bottle of formula (if you are bottle-feeding your baby) or a snack (if he/she already started solids). I always breastfeed my son right after getting dressed;

For you:

• swimsuit,

• towel,

• hairbrush,

• hairband,

• Flip Flops,

• face cream and makeup (optional),

• spare contact lenses or glasses (with the case),

• change for the lockers and car park,

• member card or any other proof of pre-payment for the course,

• a bottle of water and a snack. Swimming stimulates appetite, and you may have no time/ opportunity to buy anything. Plus, ironically, gym cafes often offer only unhealthy food.

If you want to know how joining baby swimming lesson changed our family life, click here.

MY TOP TIPS:

→ pack all items in order of using them,

→ remember that most of the lockers are quite narrow, so try not to over pack,

→ if you are going to the swimming pool but not joining the classes, take a bath toy with you. It will make the experience a lot more fun for your baby.

For more tips on how to arrange a stress-free swimming lesson, click here.

Have you joined the baby swimming classes yet? What do you like about it the most? How is your baby finding it? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading! <3