Other ways to tell Happy birthday

Birthday is one of the most important days of everybody’s life. Every year it’s the one day that has to be happy. You’re in the center of attention, everybody is being extra nice to you. And the best part – you get well wishes and gifts.

Only hearing ‘’Happy birthday!’’ all the time can get a bit old. It’s fun to switch it up a little and come up with new ways of saying happy birthday without actually using these words. So I decided to come up with a few ways of doing so.

In this article I’ve compiled a list of both sweet and funny ways to wish your loved ones happy birthday!

Enjoy!

Sweet ways to wish happy birthday

Here are some sweet ways to wish your loved ones a happy birthday in real life, write in a card or a text.

May your birthday be filled with laughter and much joy!

🎉

I wish you all the best on your special day. May all of your wishes come true!

🎉

May you have a fantastic day and many more to come!

🎉

A million magic wishes to you!

🎉

I wish you never stop enjoying all the happy, little moments in your life.

🎉

The more candles you blow, the merrier. Blow them all away and wish for the best!

🎉

May your day be filled with sweet things and some yummy cake.

🎉

It’s your birthday. Don’t think of anything else today but how great you are!

🎉

You always make me happy, so today I want to make you as happy as possible!

🎉

I’m the luckiest person in the world because I have you! Happy Birthday!

🎉

I’m so proud of the person you are and are becoming every day! Happy Birthday!

🎉

Hope you have an enjoyable birthday! You truly deserve it.

🎉

Birthday hugs and kisses incoming!

🎉

Let’s celebrate this epic day with an extravagant celebration.

🎉

May each candle you blow today grant you a wish.

🎉

The best things in life are yet to come for you.

🎉

You always make me happy, so I plan to make you even more happy on today’s occasion.

🎉

Hope today’s filled with all your favorite guilty pleasures!

🎉

So grateful that God put you on this earth and in my life.

🎉

Happy Birthday to a friend I couldn’t live without!

🎉

Funny ways to wish happy birthday

Here are some funny ways to wish your loved ones a happy birthday in real life, write in a card or a text.

Happy anniversary with life!

🥳

Happy Beerday! Time to celebrate!

🥳

Happy birthday to you. Did you know that you’re one of the few people in the world that I can actually tolerate?

🥳

Call me if you need help disposing of a body. Since it’s your birthday, the first one is free of charge.

🥳

Can you believe it?! I remembered your birthday without Facebook reminding me about it. Happy birthday!

🥳

Don’t mind the past for you can’t change it. Stop thinking about the future for you can’t anticipate it. Pay no heed about the present for I didn’t get you one.

🥳

Here’s to aging and wrinkles.

🥳

I know it’s your special day but please take it slow. Too many birthdays can kill you.

🥳

I’m greeting you first so that I can feel superior to the rest of your well-wishers. Hence, happy birthday!

🥳

May this special day of yours be absolutely terrific, and your hangover be compassionately negligible.

🥳

Didn’t we just celebrate this like a year ago? Happy birthday again, I guess…

🥳

Happy stuff your face with cake day!

🥳

Congratulations on another year of skillful death evasion!

🥳

May you be as fabulous as me on this special day of yours.

🥳

Now, now, don’t get all weird about getting older, you hear me.

🥳

Open your Facebook for this is the only day you’ll receive tons of heartfelt greetings from people you never talked to in ages.

🥳

Remember that I will always be there to pick you up when you fall. But only after I stop laughing. Happy birthday, my friend!

🥳

This is the perfect day to thank me for remembering your birthday.

🥳

Today’s a great excuse for you to make some bad decisions. Let’s party!

🥳

Wow, you made another 365-day revolution around the sun! I hope you always enjoy your trips.

🥳

Let’s eat cake, drink booze, and party all day and night. After all, it’s your birthday!

🥳

You’re a year closer to getting that senior citizen’s discount. Keep at it!

🥳

Just because it’s your birthday today doesn’t mean you’re special. You see, you are always special no matter what day it is.

🥳

Happy birthday in different languages

For all your international friends and colleagues, here are some translations to surprise them for their birthday. They will surely appreciate the effort from you to wish them a happy birthday in their native language!

Happy Birthday!

Here are the different translations to wish Happy Birthday!

Spanish – ¡Feliz cumpleaños!

French – Joyeux Anniversaire !

Italian – Buon compleanno!

German – Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Portuguese – Feliz Aniversário!

Russian – С днём рождения!

Chinese – 生日快乐！

Japanese – お誕生日おめでとうございます

Polish – Wszystkiego najlepszego!

I wish you all the best on your special day!

Here are the different translations to wish all the best on their special day.

Spanish – Le deseo lo mejor en su día especial.

French – Je vous souhaite tout le succès possible pour cette journée spéciale !

Italian – Vi auguro tutto il meglio per il vostro giorno speciale!

German – Ich wünsche Ihnen alles Gute zu Ihrem besonderen Tag!

Portuguese – Desejo-vos tudo de bom no vosso dia especial!

Russia – Желаю тебе всего наилучшего в твой особенный день!

Chinese – 祝愿你们在特殊的日子里一切顺利!

Japanese – 特別な日を迎えられますように

Polish – Życzę Wam wszystkiego najlepszego w Waszym wyjątkowym dniu!

Hope you enjoyed this article!

If you’re not only looking for a birthday wish but a gift as well, check out our article Creative bday gifts ideas.

Types of pasta sauce

If French cuisine has five basic sauces, which every chef must be able to prepare, then it is only significant that the Italians have their own. And it wouldn’t be Italy if the main task of the sauces was not to complement the delicious pasta meals.

So in this article I’ve collected the 5 best recipes for pasta sauces that everyone should know.

In my other article we’ve found out about all the Types of pasta noodles. Now it’s time to finally get prepared for the whole pasta dish.

Let’s get started with TOP 5 pasta sauces:

Alfredo sauce – makes pasta especially creamy

Italian cuisine has traditionally made pasta with cheese and butter sauces for a long time, but “Fettuccine Alfredo” became a popular dish thanks to an Italian chef only in the early 20th century. The principle for this meal is quite simple – egg noodles are mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese.

Needed ingredients:

2 tbsp butter;
200 ml sour cream;
Salt and pepper to taste;
Two handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

First, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat – it should be sunny yellow. Then add the cream kept at room temperature to the butter, add salt and pepper, and stir everything. Allow the cream and butter to begin to bubble slightly. Then allow the sauce to thicken. It usually takes about 3-5 minutes.

When the sauce base is prepared, remove the pan from the stove. While the ingredients are still hot, mix the grated Parmesan cheese into the cream. Vigorous bags of sauce with a wooden spoon so that the cheese melts evenly and does not lump.

Sauce is done and ready to be enjoyed!

Marinara sauce – classic Italian pasta sauce

The classic tomato sauce, richly served with pasta dishes, originated in Naples, Italy. However, the most interesting thing is that we know the marinara sauce itself thanks to the American Italians, who introduced it in traditional Italian cuisine. This sauce is quite rich in flavors for many pasta dishes, which is why it is worth preparing at home.

Needed ingredients:

60 ml of olive oil;
1 onion;
7 cloves of garlic;
800 g peeled or preserved tomatoes;
1 bay leaf;
a pinch of salt;
a handful of fresh basil (separated and chopped leaves);
olives.

The principle is quite simple – boil tomato sauce at home in a large pan or pot. First place the tomatoes in a bowl and squeezed by hand, adding very little water to release the tomato juice. The squeezed tomatoes are set aside to stand.

Then heat the oil in a pot (do not use a deep one) over medium heat. Fry the crushed garlic cloves and onion in it. As soon as the garlic squeaks in oil and is still in its usual color, add the tomatoes with all the juice. Add bay leaf and fresh basil, as well as salt to taste and chopped olives. The sauce is soaked for 15-20 minutes, it should be orange, thickened and the oil should flow over it.

Before the sauce is almost ready, check how it tastes – if necessary add more salt, basil and oregano to enhance the taste. Then continue to simmer for the same amount of time. The finished sauce can be cooled and transferred to storage jars. Then you can use it for up to two weeks.

Basil pesto – the taste of summer

The easiest way to get the tempting green pesto sauce is to toss all the ingredients in the blender and blend. However this approach will not be the right one either, because the metal blades change the taste of the basil and in the end only a porridge, not a dark sauce, will be made.

When preparing pesto with a pestle, the ingredients should be mixed step by step.

Ingredients

Lovers of classic values who want to make an authentic basil pesto must provide it with the basil of Genoa, which has the pronounced aroma and taste that is recognized as the most suitable for pesto sauce.

In addition to the real basil, it is important to procure garlic, high quality olive oil (extra virgin), hard cheese, a pinch of salt and, of course, cedar or pine nuts.

Step by step recipe

First, take basil leaves with a pinch of salt (if the cheese is not very salty) and rub the leaves with a stamp. You will not be able to assemble all the leaves at once, so chop them into parts until all the desired amount of basil is used.

When done, add the cleaned and halved garlic cloves and strain. Then there is a layer of nuts – pour into a pestle and chop together with the green porridge.

The nuts are followed by chopping the cheese – add the sauce and stamp in smaller pieces. Only when all these ingredients are mixed can you slowly pour in the olive oil and squeeze the sauce to the desired thickness.

When using the pestle, be careful not to bother too much, but also keep larger nutcrackers if you want. Also, do not overdo it with the addition of olive oil. Better less than too much, otherwise in the end your pesto will look like oil with greens. Pesto should be thick, dark with noticeable pieces of nuts and a pronounced basil flavor, while also feeling the salty cheese.

Primavera sauce

According to the Italians themselves – pasta without sauce is not edible. It is not for nothing that we serve them in a variety of flavors with some of the classic sauces, such as pesto, “marinara”, “Alfredo” and others. One of them, created especially for pasta, is a “primavera” sauce, which is not native to Italy, but to Canada.

Over time, however, the recipe has changed and now there is almost a different version in each cookbook. “Primavera” is difficult to call a sauce, because it is mostly butter-soaked vegetables, but this does not mean that it is not worth learning.

Needed ingredients:

450 g asparagus;
1 handful of frozen peas;
1 tbsp butter;
1 tbsp olive oil;
120 g Crushed ham;
2 small leeks;
360 ml sour cream;
1 handful of grated Parmesan cheese;
salt;
pepper.

First trim the asparagus and cut into small pieces. Ham is also cut into cubes, but the leeks are chopped.

Boil water with salt in a small saucepan, as it is recommended to cook the asparagus pieces in it for at least three minutes. Once the asparagus has been cooked, remove them with a foam spoon and cook the peas in the same water for about 5-6 minutes. After cooking, it is also removed from the field and stored with the asparagus.

Then melt the butter in a large pan with the olive oil over medium heat. Then in a pan saber ham pieces and brown. When done, add the leeks and bake for about 4 minutes. The soft leeks are then poured with sour cream and puff for at least 8 minutes.

At the end of the sauce add peas and asparagus, then stir in the cheese and add salt and pepper. Once the cheese has melted, pour the sauce over the pasta – it will suit “penne”, “rotini”, “fettuccine” and spaghetti.

Puttanesca sauce – filled with anchovies

“Puttanesca”, although considered a relative newcomer to the world of sauces, is a very special sauce. As it is rich in anchovies, its aroma and taste should not be confused with any other.

Even if mostly the sauce is added to spaghetti or some other type of pasta, by skillfully learning how to prepare it, the sauce can even be spread on pizza.

Since “puttanesca” is served with spaghetti or some other type of pasta, it is recommended to cook the sauce a little faster – a moment before the pasta is almost ready. This is necessary so that the pasta does not serve, because they will need to be neatly mixed into the sauce.

Needed ingredients:

1 onion;
a small can of anchovies;
a pinch of chili flakes;
salt;
pepper;
olive oil;
4 cloves of garlic;
1 can of canned plum tomatoes with whole juice;
2tbsp capers;
a handful of chopped olives;
oregano;
parsley;
grated Parmesan cheese.

The sauce itself begins with frying the chopped onions in olive oil. Then also add anchovy pieces, chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Olive oil must be generously applied so that the onion absorbs it beautifully, but the anchovies mix with the other ingredients.

When the anchovies have softened, cut them into smaller pieces in a pan with a spoon. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Then add the canned tomatoes with all the juice to the sauce. Cut tomatoes into smaller pieces right in the pan when they have become softer and hot. Then add the capers and olives, reduce the flame slightly and heat the sauce for 8-10 minutes to allow the excess liquid to evaporate.

Stir in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese. And the sauce is ready to be served!

That’s about all you need to know on how to make TOP 5 pasta sauces!

Bon appetit!

Gift ideas for grandpa

As in this blog I’m trying to come up with ways to help you find great gifts, this is exactly what I’m going to do in this article too. Today’s main person to show love to and surprise – grandpa.

Grandpas are the best. They are sweet and caring when they have to be, they will always help you and be there for you. And at times they can also be super chill and mind their own business – it’s a win/win! But in all seriousness grandfathers are one of the most special family members, that’s why it’s important to get them gifts that would be useful and that they would also love.

In this article read more on some birthday or even Christmas gift ideas for grandpa.

Cozy home slippers

If your grandpa loves spending time at home and is all about the comfort, then a new pair of cozy slippers could be a well appreaciated gift idea. It would be something that symbolises warmth and comfort, and also be useful in his everyday life. Good pair of slippers is a must for everyone.

Make sure you get a comfortable pair of high quality. You want these slippers to be truly special – grandpa himself probably wouldn’t invest in good slippers. So treat him with a nice surprise and gift him his new absolute favorite slippers in the world!

New tools for home or garden

I don’t know about you, but my grandpa is known for always being the one that fixes everything around the house. You can’t even start thinking of mentioning having a professional over to fix something. He will get offended at the slightest. His home is his pride and joy, and he takes care of it.

To do so properly, we started gifting him good quality tools. The best tools are timeless, that’s true, but they do tend to get ”worn out”. So it is always nice to have fresh ones. Think of anything he’d need on a daily basis – tools to cut bushes, fix the dripping sink etc.

Screen magnifier

As you get older, so does your vision. Often times grandpas are the ones who do not like admitting that so they keep on struggling during everyday tasks instead of asking for help. Don’t make him ask – just help!

A cool gift idea I came across on the web is a screen magnifier. It can be used for computer or his cell phone. That way grandpa can still browse the web and stay informed. But do it in a much needed comfort.

Sweet picture frame

If your grandpa is more on the soft side, then a sweet gift will be the ones that warms his heart the most. A good idea is gifting him a picture frame of the whole family, of you two or maybe with just him and grandma. It will be such a sweet gift for him that he can always treasure.

To make this gift even more special, make the picture frame yourself. There are many tutorials on the web on how to make a wooden frame, and it isn’t even that hard. He will be able to check out your handy-ness and appreciate it!

Leather bookmark

If your grandpa is a reader then it’s about time you get him a real bookmark! Don’t get me wrong – he might already have one, but he certainly doesn’t have a good quality one. Besides, there are often times when people don’t really invest in bookmarks, they just find something that will do the job – even if it’s an old piece of paper.

I’ve seen a bunch of cool leather bookmarks that are made for the corner of the book pages. And you can personalise it too. If grandpa spends much of his time reading books, then getting him a real bookmark of high quality will be a thoughtful gift.

BBQ set for a real chef

Another specialty of grandpa’s – BBQ! In my family grandpa is always by the grill at garden parties, making sure everyone is fed with yummy food. Grilling some meat, veggies etc! To do so properly, get him a nice set of BBQ tools. If he’s been doing just fine with his old tools, convince him on why the new ones are better.

Don’t just gift them and make him use them. Help him understand why the ones you got are better. Make it a team effort to organise the next BBQ family garden party!

Folding camping chair

And yet again – comfort is the key. I’m sure your grandpa loves being outdoors. Maybe he likes fishing, maybe he’s into camping, building a fire, cooking outdoors, hunting etc. Great gift for him would be a folding camping chair. It is a great way to be comfortable even when there is no place to sit.

It is a super handy thing to have in your truck because you never know when you just want to sit down and watch a sunset. Now he can do so anytime anywhere! How great is that?

Hope you’ve found some good gift ideas!

For more options, chekc out my other articles on gifts – Find gift by persons birth date and Creative bday gift ideas.

Happy gift hunting! 🙂

Find gift by persons birth date

Some people choose to believe in magic and some don’t. There is also a different consideration of what magic means of course. For me, magic is anything I can not find an explanation to. And one of those things are horoscopes and star signs. Which can come in handy on many occasions in life.

It’s always fun to read your monthly or even daily horoscope and see what they predict about your future. Similar mindset can be used while choosing a gift for your loved ones. As I’ve recently discovered, you can also choose a gift based on the person’s birth date.

In this article I will tell you more about how the person’s birth date can help you choose the best present for their birthday.

How to choose a gift based on birth date

I found this cool website Tip4Me that is built on the whole purpose of helping you find cool gifts based on your birthday. To show you how it works, I’ll try looking for a gift for myself – that way I will be able to tell if it’s really working and the advice for gifts is good.

Write in the date of birth + gender

The first thing to do is to write your gender and date of birth. I was born on october 10th, therefore I am a Libra.

Choose the preferred category

So what happens after you type in the previous data, you get referred to a bunch of categories so you can cross out the wrong ones already. That way you immediately choose which category you gravitate towards the most and don’t end up wasting your time going through millions of gift ideas. Here it’s pretty simple and right to the point.

So in my case the first categories I see are The Joy of Being Beautiful and Give Some Inspiration. These are the two I will check out for more ideas.

Look for the perfect gift

Once you pick the right category, it’s time to look for some gift ideas. I’ll give you a little rundown of what kind of gift ideas I found in my chosen 2 categories that I would love to receive.

In category number 1 aka The Joy of Being Beautiful I found these gift ideas:

ORGANIC Bath Bombs Set;
Massage oil gift set;
Aromatherapy Oil Diffuser;
Visit to hairstylist;
Sound soother;
Chanel Fragrance;
Natural hairbrush;
Oil Painting silk scarf;
Handmade Scented Tealight Candles;
Wool blanket;
Makeup brush set.

As you can see, I’ve found quite a lot of gifts that would make me feel pretty and make me happy.

Let’s see what we can find in the second category.

In category number 2 aka Give Some Inspiration I found these gift ideas:

Crystal Ball;
Motivating Poster;
Spotify for a year;
Artistic LED lamp;
Natural Gemstone bracelets;
Indoor water fountain;
Vintage Vinyl player;
Grown Up coloring book;
World map pin board;
Designer sunglasses;
Bath caddy.

So here are my gift ideas complete.

I really do recommend checking out the Tip4me.com page since it’s such a fun way to look for gifts.

For more gift ideas check out my article 21st birthday gift ideas.

21st birthday gift ideas

The 21^st birthday is an important milestone for many young adults. It’s the time to take charge of their independence. And it’s common for young people to want to take on the world and indulge in their new freedoms.

For this, here are some cool 21^st birthday gift ideas!

Airpods

Airpods are wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Even though they were originally created for iPhone and iPad, you can use them with almost any computer and smartphone.

Those who still use wired headphones will greatly appreciate this update of technology. It‘s often seen as a status symbol for young adults. And no more tangled wires!

Bluetooth Speaker

A Bluetooth speaker will be a great gift for a music lover. As most wireless technologies, they are compatible with any smartphone, tablet or computer that supports a wireless Bluetooth connection.

These types of speakers will offer a much better sound quality than you would get from your phone or laptop. Besides that, they are compact and can easily travel with you anywhere.

Drinking Game

21 is the final legal drinking age everywhere in the world. And surely many young adults would like to welcome this new life with a good party! So, this would be the perfect gift for someone who likes to bring more fun to the table.

Besides, there are so many fun drinking games out there. You just have to pick the one that will suit the birthday girl or boy the best. To make it even more fun, maybe try making a drinking game yourself.

Snack Box

A snack box is essentially a box that contains all kinds of snack foods. There are various companies out there that will compile and deliver snack boxes according to your likes, and even food allergies. You will also find options for the more health conscious young people.

If you know the recipients taste well, you might want to compile the snack box by yourself, filling it with all of their favorites. What a delicious way to start your 21’s!

Adventure

If they are someone who enjoys a good adventure, you can offer them a gift of an unforgettable and fun day outdoors. It can also be a good opportunity to enjoy new and exciting experiences together, and make great memories.

For some cool daredevil activities you might want to consider bungee jumping, skydiving, cliff climbing or paragliding. For more relaxing adventures – think of a ride in a hot air balloon, scuba diving, boat riding or even hiking. If you are still unsure about the right adventure, a more safe bet would be a fun day at an adventure park.

Powerbank

A powerbank is a portable battery charger. No one wants a dead phone so a charger like this can be a real lifesaver. As a versatile tool, a Powerbank can be used for various USB charged portable devices.

This is a perfect gift idea for somebody who already seems to have everything they need. Or if it’s super hard to shop for them. Then something useful like a battery bank will be the best choice. Can’t go wrong with it!

Travel Essentials

At 21 years of age, the world is full of opportunities. If they are excited to travel and explore the world, it would be a great idea to provide them with some of the essential tools.

Think stuff like backpacks, sleeping bags, multi-tool knives, camping cookers and tents.

Backpack

Backpacks are awesome for independent travel. They can offer large storage and are more flexible than a trolley.

Sleeping bag

A sleeping bag is a must-have item for travelers. If you know of a certain trip already in planning, check for good temperature ranges.

Multi-tool knife

A good camping knife will have multiple uses, whether it’s for preparing food, opening bottles, cutting wood or offering the feeling of self-protection. And, you can conveniently keep it in your pocket.

Camping cooker

This will be a more convenient tool than open fire for providing a hot meal or drinkable water.

Tent

A tent will provide cozier nights outdoors and a protection from harsh weather.

These items will be useful not only for camping but for any backpacking trip around the world.

Scratch-Off World Map

There’s so much to do, so much to discover. This type of poster is covered with foil, and can be scratched away just like a lottery ticket, uncovering a place on the map.

If you know someone who is eager to explore the world, this map would be perfect as a cool and visual way to track all the places they’ve visited.

Online Courses

Do you know of something that they have always wanted to learn but still haven’t? Then why not give them a good start by gifting them an online course! It could be for learning a language, dancing or for taking the first steps towards a Rockstar career by taking a guitar class.

However, make sure to consider the gift recipient’s time and pick a course that can be done without deadlines, at one’ s own pace.

Money

As a young adult, they probably know best how to use their money. Especially if they are at the beginning of their new independent life, every bit of extra money will always be helpful.

For that reason money will definitely be a safe choice of gift.

It is not easy to find the right gift for everyone. Make sure to pay attention to their interests, future plans and the ways in which they like to spend their free time. This age is a rather special one and the right birthday gift can either make it more fun or help support their start in real adulthood.

For more ideas check out the article Creative bday gift ideas.

How to make your water taste better

Drinking enough water isn’t always the easiest task. I personally struggle with it for a very interesting reason – water simply isn’t fun enough for me to drink. I know and I fully acknowledge that it is the healthy thing to do yet I would rather choose something with a good taste instead of water.

So to fix my problem I’ve come up with a solution – infused water. Berries, fruits and even some veggies are great to put in water. After a while the water gets some taste from these added ingredients. And then it tastes great and is still healthy which is important.

So to help you out, if you’re struggling with the same problem, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite recipes.

Enjoy!

Raspberries + lemon

Raspberries are one of my favorite berries so of course I had to use them in these recipes. A great way to make your water taste better is by adding some berries to it of your own choice. I prefer raspberries but you can also use strawberries, blackberries etc.

I usually don’t measure much but I make a huge batch of water of around 2 litres. For that measurement I usually use around a whole cup of berries.

To make this infused water taste even better, I add some lemon slices. That Can vary for everybody’s taste. Just keep in mind that lemon slices will make your water taste more fresh but also savory. The more lemon you will add, the more savory your drink will be. Healthwise – I love lemon, especially in the mornings. It helps me to wake up and start off my day great!

Apple + cinnamon

Apple and cinnamon is the combination you didn’t know you needed. It’s an amazing way to make your water taste like fall. Cinnamon has a way to make your whole house smell like Christmas. For people who love this holiday (like me), this drink will be a great reminder.

As I’ve mentioned before, I very much eyeball all the measurements but I do make around 2 litres of water. Everybody has their own amount of water to drink. To read more about that, read my article How much water should I drink a day.

Speaking of this recipe, I cut about a whole apple in slices and used 1 cinnamon stick. Cinnamon is the tricky part because you don’t want to overdo it. When it comes to choosing your apple – I suggest getting a very sweet one. That way the taste will transport to your water and you will get a yummy infused water!

Grapes + mint

Grapes are another set of berries I love to snack on during the day. So I experimented with adding some of those to my daily water. At first not much happened, but probably because I didn’t leave the water to get infused for too long. It’s best to do so overnight or for a whole 24 hours even.

Then I looked up some recipes and many suggested adding mint to your grapes. Once I did that, there was no going back. Mint is such a great way to make your drink taste more fresh, cold and overall just better!

Pineapple + mint

So as you’ve noticed so far, mint is my new obsession when it comes to infusing water. To be honest with you, I do wonder how my first 2 recipes would taste with added mint. That is to be experimented with later!

For this recipe use some pineapple, I used about a fourth of a normal sized pineapple. Sliced it, added a few mint leaves and left the water overnight in the fridge. The end result tastes almost like a cocktail, only except the sticky and too sweet taste that is often found in drinks with pineapple.

This tastes like an exotic and healthy version of those cocktails.

For more tips check out my article Tips to remind myself to drink water.

I hope you will try these water recipes and find one that you love!

Secret Santa gift ideas

Secret Santa is a fun way to trade gifts with your favorite people. This way of exchanging Christmas gifts is most commonly used in large families, friend groups or even at work with colleagues.

It’s both fun and practical, because you only have to get a gift for one person – and they don’t know who it’s from. This is a great way to let everyone get into the holiday spirit and bring a bit of mystery and magic to the table.

If you’re participating in the Secret Santa this year, here are some simple but cool gift ideas to use as your main gift.

Yummy sweets

Everybody knows that Christmas is the best holiday for yummy snacks and sweets. It’s pretty common for people to cook and bake even more during the holidays. So if you have to choose a gift last minute or the person you got just simply already has everything they could ever need, sweets are always appreciated.

To make this simple present just a tad bit more special, think of the person you’re giving the gift to. What are their favorite snacks, scents, tastes, textures? A great way to surprise the person and make them feel loved is to make the sweets yourself. Bake some cookies, put some fun icing on top and the gift is ready to go.

A scented candle

Candles are one of the most popular gifts, especially for Christmas. Because who doesn’t love a scented candle, right? It just makes you feel right at home. All you have to do is choose a candle with an appropriate scent. It might be tempting to choose a holiday scent, but keep in mind that the person will get this gift right on holidays.

So in order to not gift a candle with a scent that reminds of Christmas for the next few weeks, maybe choose something for their everyday life. Look into such scents as honey, vanilla, wild berry, coconut, coffee etc. A good quality candle can get quite expensive so it will make a great gift.

Cool Socks

If socks aren’t the ultimate Christmas gift, then I don’t want to know what is! Everybody wears socks therefore everybody needs socks – it’s that simple. And Christmas is the best time to find some cool funky socks, such as seen in the picture above.

While choosing this gift, you can take 2 routes. Number one is choosing some comfortable socks for home wear – they can be cozy, soft and cute colored. Option number two is choosing fun socks for everyday wear. Here you have to keep in mind the person’s style and taste. You can go crazy with bright colors and patterns, but you can also think practical. It really depends!

A cute coffee mug

A cute coffee mug is another great gift idea that will be perfect for your friends and family. If you’re willing to get one cool mug, keep in mind it has to be very unique.

To make this gift even more cute, you can always fill the mug with something tasty. Don’t just give them an empty coffee mug. Fill it up with coffee or their favorite snacks. Christmas themed advice would be to fill the mug up with all the ingredients needed for hot chocolate – some chocolate, candy canes, marshmallows etc. So cute!

Lottery tickets

To spice things up a little bit, choose a lottery ticket as your Secret Santa gift. If you’re about to ask why, I’m here to ask you why not? This is another great gift idea for somebody who doesn’t seem to need anything. We all have at least one friend who always gets themselves everything they need so it makes really difficult to gift shop for them.

Besides, lottery tickets are very different. Choose a bunch of those that almost often let you win at least something. Of course it’s not about the amount that you can win. It’s more so about the whole process and excitement to see how much you’ve won.

Hopefully you found these gift ideas fun!

If you’re looking for something to write in your Christmas card, check out My favourite Christmas wishes for some ideas!

My favourite Christmas wishes

Christmas is my favourite holiday because it’s all about the love, magic and being together with all of your loved ones. It is truly the best time of the year. Often this is the time to tell your loved ones how much you appreciate and love them. To do so, use some Christmas wishes.

Christmas can be the time to tell your closest friends and family how much they mean to you. Not everyone is so good with words, though. So I am here to help you with some of my favourite Christmas wishes.

You can write them in a card or say them out loud! Merry Christmas!

Here’s the parts of the article:

Wonderful Christmas wishes

Here are some wholesome and full of love wishes for you to use in your Holiday cards.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

❆❆❆

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas, let your heart be light.

❆❆❆

May your holidays sparkle with joy and laughter!

❆❆❆

It’s easy to get lost in the flurry of activity during Christmas time. May you get a chance to take in the beauty and true meaning of the season and have a Merry Christmas!

❆❆❆

I hope Santa is good to you this year because you only deserve the best. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

❆❆❆

Merry Christmas, and may your Christmas be white!

❆❆❆

It’s people like you that make Christmas so special and meaningful. Thank you!

❆❆❆

Cheers to eggnog by the fire, warm holiday memories, and you.

❆❆❆

Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas! May peace, love, prosperity follow you always.

❆❆❆

May this festive season sparkle and shine, may all of your wishes and dreams come true, and may you feel this happiness all year round. Merry Christmas!

❆❆❆

I wish happiness surrounds you all around on this happy occasion. I hope you’ll have a great time with your friends and family!

❆❆❆

Merry Christmas! May your happiness be large and your bills small!

❆❆❆

Your friendship and your love is the best Christmas gift that I’ve ever received.

❆❆❆

Warmest greetings of this festive season and best wishes for Happiness in the New Year!

❆❆❆

May your heart and home be filled with all of the joys the festive season brings. Here is a toast to a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!

❆❆❆

The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas!

❆❆❆

I hope this holy season brings abundant happiness in your life. Merry Christmas to someone so sweet!

❆❆❆

May this Christmas end the year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright New Year. Wishing you a magical and blissful holiday.

❆❆❆

Funny Christmas wishes

Christmas is also about staying in a good mood. Some express their love best by some silly jokes and goofy wishes. Here are some.

🎅

Why did Santa quit smoking? Because it was bad for his elf.

🎅

Christmas is a very spiritual time – in your case vodka, gin and whisky.

🎅

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.

🎅

Gin-gle bells,

Gin-gle all the way,

Oh what fun it is to drink,

On a festive holiday.

🎅

I hope Santa fills our socks with cash instead of gifts and toys. I know you hope for the same. Wish you a happy Christmas!

🎅

Christmas is the season of magic and mystery. All your savings for the year will have vanished and you won’t even know it. How awesome!

🎅

I don’t perceive why individuals prefer to say “Mary Christmas.” Isn’t it Jesus’ birthday? We must always say, “Jesus Christmas.”

🎅

One sure sign that you’re getting older is how Santa seems to look younger each year. Cheers to another year of holiday fun!

🎅

May your eggnog be spiked with plenty of rum to get you through this holiday season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

🎅

“It’s all fun and games until Santa checks the naughty list.”
Let’s hope he wasn’t paying close attention to us this year! Thanks for being such a great friend, it’s been fun spending time with you over the year.

🎅

Christmas (noun). The only time of the year in which one can sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of socks.

🎅

I hope you love the present you told me to buy for you. Merry Christmas!

🎅

That’s it for now! I hope you found at least one of these useful! Merry Holiday season!

If you’re looking for a gift, check out some cool ideas in my other article Secret Santa gift ideas.

Happy holidays!

Types of pasta noodles

Pasta is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. There are so many ways you can make it – with different sauces, tomato pastes, cheeses, mushrooms etc. There’s nothing better than a creamy, cheesy dish of pasta. While looking for new and exciting pasta recipes, I came across a bunch of different pasta noodles.

I had absolutely no idea that there were so many different kinds of pasta. I’m a huge pasta lover but even I had no idea what was coming – so I decided to list all the different pasta noodles I could find.

I hope you enjoy this pasta-bly one of the best articles on this page! 🙂

Long to medium long pasta

Here are the types of long to medium long pasta.

Bigoli

Spaghetti-shaped pasta, but fatter and softer. They are prepared from full-grain flour, sometimes a duck egg is added to the dough.

Bucatini

Thickened spaghetti-type pasta, the middle of which is empty.

Capellini

Very thin spaghetti-shaped pasta, often twisted together in “nests.” The translation means “thin hair.”

Fedelini

Very thin spaghetti-type pasta.

Fettuccine

A kind of pasta that even those who aren’t fans of it seem to recognize. This is long pasta, wide and twisted around 6.5 millimeters, in a kind of sloppy lump.

Linguine

Spaghetti pasta, which means “little tongues” in translation.

Lasagne

This is wide rectangular-shaped pasta that could be translated as a “flat slice of bread.” This is perhaps the oldest of pasta types.

Lasagnette

Another version of lasagne, only more narrow and wavy.

Maccheroncini di Campofilone

Looks like thin strips. Eggs are used to make this type of pasta.

Mafalde

This type of pasta got its name in honor of Princess Mafald of Savoy (France). The pasta is long, rectangular and wavy.

Pappardelle

Pasta is made in flat strips, the dough of which is based on eggs.

Pici

Very thick, irregularly shaped and long pasta, it is handmade.

Pillus

Very thin pasta strips, which are made in beef broth.

Spaghetti

Undoubtedly a type of pasta that everyone has tasted. They are long and thin cylindrical pasta made up of flour and water.

Spaghetti alla chitarra

Rectangular pasta made of eggs and flour. The name comes from the device used to cut the pasta, which resembles a guitar in shape.

Su Filindeu

This pasta consists of 256 equally fine dough threads that are dried in the sun. It should be noted that this is a very rare type of pasta. Therefore, if you are a hunter of different types of pasta, then finding this one is the right challenge for you.

Tagliatelle

Long pasta 6.5 to 10 millimeters wide, mixed in a ball. The translation means “cut”.

Taglierini

These are the thinnest version of tagliatelle pasta.

Vermicelli

In translation, it means “little worm”. In Italy, this pasta is a little thicker than spaghetti pasta.

Ziti

Long and narrow pasta, which is usually broken before cooking. In translation, the word means “brides and grooms”.

Short pasta

Here are the types of short pasta I could find.

Boccoli

Short, thin and twisted pasta.

Calamarata

In appearance, this pasta resembles a wide ring.

Cappelli da chef

Looks like a chef’s hat and literally it means it.

Casarecce

Short pasta with an “s” shape. Translated means “home made”.

Casatellane

Pasta in the shape of a shell, which is translated as “castle dweller”.

Cavatappi

Pasta with the shape of a wine corkscrew, which in translation also means exactly that.

Cavatelli

Short and longer pasta, which is made in three sizes, usually measured by the fingers.

Chifferi

Small and wide pasta, which can be both straight and curved.

Cicioneddos

Shell-shaped pasta that is rolled out by hand.

Conchiglie

Curved shell-shaped pasta.

Creste di galli

Short, curved and ribbed pasta.

Farfalle

In translation, they mean “butterflies”.

Fiori

Flower-shaped pasta, which also translates as “flowers”.

Fusilli

They are thin and twisted (like a corkscrew).

Garganelli

Eggs are used to make their dough and it is formed into a ribbed square, which is then rolled into a tube.

Gemelli

An “S” shaped type of pasta that is twisted into a free spiral shape.

Gomiti

Translated to mean “elbow” and resembles a bent elbow in shape.

Lanterne

Curved and ribbed pasta, which means “lanterns”.

Lorighittas

The strips of pasta are wrapped twice around three fingers so that they form a ring and then rotated to resemble a rope. This word translates as “small rings”.

Mafaldine

Short pasta that is wavy.

Maltagliati

Pasta of various shapes, which can be translated as “poorly cut”.

Malloreddus

The rolling of this pasta dough is handmade, their shape is a shell.

Mandala

The design of this pasta was created in 1987, inspired by mandala drawings.

Marille

The name could be translated as “from the sea”. This type of pasta was designed in 1983 and looks like an ocean wave.

Mezzi bombardoni

Wide-shaped tubular pasta.

Passatelli

These pasta noodles are prepared in chicken broth from breadcrumbs, eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon and nutmeg.

Pizzoccheri

Flat pasta plates made from buckwheat flour.

Radiators

Visually, they are comparable in form to radiators (old), and this also means it in direct translation. Their shape makes them suitable for dishes consisting of thick consistency sauces.

Ricciolini

Short and wide pasta cut at a 90 degree angle.

Rotelle

Pasta whose appearance corresponds to its name – “small wheels”.

Sagnette

They look like short and thin strips.

Spirali

Spiral tubes, translated to mean “spirals”.

Spiralini

According to their size, the name means “small spirals”.

Vesuvio

These pasta are named in honor of Mount Vesuvius. They resemble the shape of a corkscrew in appearance.

Pasta for soups

Here are some types of pasta for soups.

Acini di pepe

Translated to mean “peppercorns”.

Alfabeto

Pasta shaped like letters of the alphabet.

Anelli

Small pasta in the shape of rings.

Conchigliette

Small pasta in the shape of a shell. The name translates as “small shells”.

Ditali

Short tubular pasta. Their name could be translated as “nozzle” or “thimble”.

Fideos

Pasta made from flour, eggs and water. In appearance, they are finely long and twisted into lumps or messy, rolled balls.

Fregula

This type of pasta originated in Sardinia. From the dough form small, round balls about 2-3 millimeters in diameter and bake in the oven.

Funghini

Small pasta that looks like mushrooms and also means “small mushrooms”.

Midolline

Flat pasta with a teardrop shape.

Occhi di pernice

Very small pasta, which means “eyes of a partridge”.

Pastina

Translated to mean “small pasta”. This name also refers to the “family” of all small pasta.

Piombi

Translated as “pearl pasta”.

Quadrettini

Small and flat pasta with a square shape means “small squares” in translation.

Stelle

Pasta in the form of small stars.

Stortini

A smaller version of “elbow pasta”.

Pasta with filling

And here’s some pasta with fillings.

Agnolotti

Semi-round or square pockets that can be filled with ricotta or other cheeses, meat or vegetables. In translation, they mean “angels.”

Caccavelle

Large pasta, in the form of a bowl, for filling. Translated from Latin, it means “pot”.

Cannelloni

Pasta rolls, which are filled with various fillings, are usually cooked in the oven.

Cappelletti

Pieces of square dough filled with minced meat and folded into a triangular shape. This name translates as “hats”.

Caramelle

A type of stuffed pasta that looks like candy and is also translated by the word.

Casoncelli un casunziei

These are types of stuffed pasta and their name probably comes from the word casa or house.

Conchiglioni

Stuffable pasta, which looks like large shells in shape and is also a translation of the name.

Lumache

In translation, this word means “snails” and would be visually comparable to snail “houses”.

Mezzelune

Semicircular pockets, which means “crescent”.

Pansotti

Triangular pasta, which is not usually filled with meat. In translation, this name means “big belly”.

Ravioli

This popular pasta consists of two pasta squares and is filled with meat, cheese, vegetable purees or a combination of different ingredients.

Sacchettoni

Another type of stuffed pasta is small square shapes. They are wrapped around the filling and rotated. In translation, the name means “small bags”.

Tortelli

The translation of this word is “little pies”. Fold the square-shaped pasta to form triangles. They are about 30 × 35 millimeters in size. Sweet versions are also available for this type of pasta.

Tortellini

Ring-shaped pasta, usually stuffed with meat and cheese.

Tortelli del Mugello

A type of pasta that is stuffed with potatoes.

There’s so many different kinds of pastas that the pastabilities are endless! 🙂

Check out recipes where pasta is included – The best lasagna recipe and Types of pasta sauce.

How much water should I drink a day

Everybody knows that drinking an appropriate amount of water a day is very important. It significantly improves your health and overall feeling. The main question is not only why it’s so important to drink water but also how much?

There is no simple answer to the question about the amount of water necessary for daily intake, as scientists’ recommendations in this area have changed over the years. Also worth noting, that the amount of water needed for each person varies based on different factors.

In this article I’ll give you a brief conclusion on why you should hydrate regularly over the day and how much water you should drink based on your age, gender and other factors.

Regular hydration improves health

A human body of 60% is known to consist of water. Consequently, the wellbeing and physical survival of the body depends on regular water intake. You flush out all the bad things while sweating, crying and urinating. So it only makes sense you’d need to repair the lost water.

Each body cell, tissues and organs are based on a sufficient amount of water to function properly.

The role of water in the functioning of the body is invaluable.

Here are some indications of the importance of water for health:

Water helps with regulating body temperature;
It releases the body from harmful substances by flushing it through urination, sweating and intestinal function;
It protects sensitive tissues;
Moisturizes joints.

How much water should you drink per day

Insufficient intake of water leads the body to dehydration. This makes it difficult to function normally. Even a small dehydration is capable of significantly altering the physical performance of the body, which can be shown in a lack of energy, headaches and fatigue.

Every day, the human body loses water. In order for the body to function normally, the amount of water lost must be restored by taking a sufficient amount of water through the intake of drinks and water-containing meals.

In 2010, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an official water intake recommendation based on age and gender.

For infants it’s 680ml – 1000ml of water per day.
Kids aged from 9 to 13 – 1900ml for girls and 2100ml for boys.
For teenagers, grownups and elders – 2000ml for women and 2500ml for men.
For pregnant women – the usual 2000ml + 300ml extra.

Factors affecting water intake

Based on various factors and activities carried out during the day, the recommended amount of water intake may vary. Find out more about what affects it below.

Physical exercise

If physical activity (walks, swimming, exercising, playing etc) is carried out during the day, which results in sweating, the amount of water lost must be repaired. It is important to drink water during sports, before and after.

The climate

In the case of hot and moist weather, increased sweating may be possible, which requires additional water intake. The same applies to high height – if you are in the hills, for example, drink more water.

Condition of health

The body also loses water significantly during health problems – if there is fever, vomiting or diarrhoea especially. In this case, you should drink a lot of water and consult your doctor about the dehydration that has occurred. Other health problems, which include increased loss of water, include urinary infections and the formation of stones in the bladder.

Being pregnant or breastfeeding

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need to increase water intake during the postnatal period.

Listen to your body and you will know how much water you need

Listen to your body and you will surely know when to drink water and how much of it. Before you start to calculate the needed daily water intake, remember to not stress your body out.

Here are some tips that might help you find out if you really need to hydrate more than you usually do.

You are most likely to drink enough water if:

You rarely feel thirsty;
Your urine is pale yellow or, at best, colourless;
A doctor has set up an individual plan for taking the amount of water that is exactly right for you.

To avoid dehydration, try to get yourself used to water drinking. It isn’t simple for everyone, yet try to make water your priority and choice of drink and your body will be grateful to you.

Recommendations on how to effectively take care of water intake:

Drink one glass of water before and between each meal;
Drink water before, after and during training;
Drinking water if you are hungry – thirst often fools you by pretending to be hungry;
Always keep a bottle of water next to you so you always have something to drink.
Find the best water bottle for yourself so it’s comfortable and handy everyday.

For more tips, check out my other article Tips to remind myself to drink water.

I hope you enjoyed this article because I surely enjoyed looking up all this information! Hope it was helpful!

Coffee mug – a sustainable zero waste gift

Drinking coffee is a daily routine for a lot of people. Not a lot of them realise that this simple activity actually can cause quite a bit of waste. To prevent that, there’s a sustainable choice to be made – switch over to a reusable coffee mug.

On reasons why getting a reusable coffee mug is such a great idea and why it makes a good gift, read this article.

Why get a reusable coffee mug?

There are many reasons to switch from one-time-use plastic or paper cups to a sustainable coffee mug. Those can be saving some extra money and loving our planet a little bit more. More reasons to get a reusable coffee mug down below.

Saves you some time

Many people can’t start their day without a cup of coffee. If you can, you drink it at home, if you can’t – there’s always a coffee shop on the way, right?

If only there were a sustainable coffee mug that would let you make your own coffee at home and take it with you wherever you go. Oh wait – there is! Besides, a reusable coffee mug will last you for years and years. And if you really love that coffee from that one specific place – go ahead and buy that coffee! Only this time with your own cool coffee mug.

Saves extra money

With that being said, a reusable mug will also save you some money. I probably don’t need to tell you how every little coin adds up eventually, right?

With going out and buying coffee every day you end up spending a percentage of your paycheck on something you could’ve saved up. With your own coffee mug you will save money either way – both if you’re making coffee at home or getting it at your favorite coffee shops. They often give discounts to those who take their own mugs.

Saves resources and creates less waste

Having your own take-away coffee mug is a zero waste friendly way to enjoy your favorite drink daily.

There is so much waste that comes with buying daily tea or coffee at shops and cafes. You drink your coffee, then toss out the cup and never even think twice about it. And eventually the pile of waste grows huge without you even realising. If we all did such a small thing as switching to our own reusable mugs, the planet would thank us! I truly believe in that!

Convenient for any drink of your choice

Coffee mugs or tumblers aren’t necessarily only made for coffee. They can be used for tea or even smoothies. If you get an isolated mug, it will keep your drinks temperature hot or cold for multiple hours during the day. That way you can enjoy a mug of hot coffee or a refreshing cold smoothie.

A great gift for tea or coffee lovers

If you are looking for a gift idea for somebody who loves their daily hot beverages, this gift could be it. A sustainable coffee mug is a great way to not change your daily habits too much – only continue doing them in a nature-friendly and efficient way.

Besides, this gift will be greatly appreciated by anyone who is interested in helping out our planet. Even if the person hasn’t necessarily thought about a zero waste lifestyle, they will definitely be glad to participate in this amazing movement. It only does good!

To get ideas on more zero waste friendly gifts, check out my other article Zero waste gift ideas and find something you’d like to gift someone.

I hope you enjoyed this article!

Zero waste gift ideas

Zero waste is a movement created to reduce unnecessary consumption of a variety of things. The goal of this lifestyle is to use less – ditch plastic, use reusable and sustainable options instead, think more of the planet and the surroundings.

Even though I personally am not living a hundred percent zero waste, this is a movement I greatly support. Especially when it comes to choosing gifts for my loved ones. It’s so fun to create something useful instead of buying.

So in this article I will show you a few ideas on DIY zero waste gifts.

Let’s begin!

A homemade body scrub

Who would’ve thought, but one of your favorite hot beverages – coffee – can also be used after drinking it. The leftover coffee that stays in your mug can easily be transformed into a wonderful, good smelling body scrub.

Coffee grounds can actually cleanse the skin from the dead cells as well as toning it. Your skin will feel refreshed and smelling wonderful. There are a bunch of different recipes online to choose from so be creative and have patience to find the right one.

You can also experiment on your own and find other ingredients to put to use from your kitchen. For example, cinnamon has some amazing antibacterial properties. Cinnamon enhances circulation and makes the skin softer.

Similar to sugar – it gives skin a healthy glow. That’s why there are so many sugar scrubs out there!

Besides, scrub is so easy and quick to make. And unlike ones from the store, you will know for sure it will contain only natural and harmless ingredients.

Candles for a cozy feeling

Winters can get pretty long and dark. Each and every candle can be a much needed ray of light and coziness. It definitely makes my days brighter and leaves me feeling better all together.

Although making a candle is a little bit more complicated than making your own scrub, it is still pretty manageable. It will definitely turn into a fun adventure for you and the person who you’re making this gift for will surely appreciate the effort put in.

When I think of candles, I quickly think of a scented one. That’s the best part of candles – lighting one up and filling your whole home with good smelling scents. You can implement a scent of your choosing in the form of an essential oil.

Healthy homemade snacks

In times of celebrations – birthdays, Christmases etc, it’s often hard to not overeat. Food is everywhere and you catch yourself thinking – but we’re celebrating! To compensate for all the yummy food, it’s good from time to time to make something healthy.

A healthy homemade snack also goes for a great gift idea. Especially if you’re making it for someone who’s always busy or doesn’t cook/bake themselves.

The gift can be homemade cookies, a healthy banana bread or sweet energy balls from dates, for example. You can variate with all these foods and make them for your liking.

Bath bombs

If the person you’re making a gift for likes taking relaxing bubble baths, you can give them something useful in this area. For example, a cool bath bomb.

Here you can allow yourself to be completely creative. You can play with different shapes, colors and even scents. While picking ingredients, remember to stick to the most natural ones. Some that will make their skin moisturized and fresh.

A sustainable coffee mug

Another sustainable gift idea is a reusable coffee mug. This gift is especially great for a real coffee (or tea) lover.

Often we don’t even realise how much time and money is spent getting coffee during the day. Drive-thru’s, stopping by coffee shops on the way to work etc. You can save your time, money AND resources by just getting a reusable coffee mug and making your coffee at home.

That way you can make coffee for the whole day if you’d like. It’s a great way to live your everyday life more convenient and waste free.

More on this gift idea read in the article Coffee mug – a sustainable zero waste gift.

Good quality tea

Another great gift idea that will certainly be used a lot by tea lovers – tea! Pick the tea that would suit the best with the person you want to give it to. This gift idea is useful and can be gifted with much love, since there are teas that help with pain relief, stress relief, bettering mood etc.

For example, lately a super popular choice is a chai tea and chai lattes. Chai tea has a bunch of good qualities. The caffeine in the black tea will wake you up on the dark winter mornings when getting out of bed is a challenge itself.

Keep in mind that chai tea also improves the digestive system, prevents nausea and pain, strengthens the immune system and lowers cholesterol.

And what’s even better – you can make it yourself too. All you need is good quality black tea and various spices – cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger powder, nutmeg etc. There is no doubt that tea lovers will love this gift!

As I hope you loved these gift ideas!

24Bottles are my favorites

For a few years now I’ve been choosing a sustainable water bottle over the many plastic water bottles I used to buy in my every-day life. But only recently I discovered my now absolute favorite brand of water bottles – 24Bottles.

It’s an Italian brand that was born in Bologna, Italy. I can’t believe it has taken me years to notice this brand since I’ve found them to be truly amazing on many levels. So here I am, writing this article in hope that I will inform somebody else about this cool water bottle brand.

Reasons 24Bottles is my favorite brand

I’ve compiled some of the main reasons I’ve fallen in love with this specific brand.

Great and aesthetic design

When looking for a sustainable option for your daily needs, it is just as important to find beautiful gadgets. It can be sustainable clothing, planner, shoes, water bottles and anything else. It has to have a good design – and 24Bottles definitely don’t lack this problem.

Its creators have mentioned that aesthetically looking water bottles can convince people to adapt a sustainable lifestyle. Most of it is about the looks. That’s why 24Bottles is creating a wide range of colorful, cool patterns to put on their water bottles. I personally love all the colorful ones – LOVESONG, SKYBEAU, POSEIDON, PROMENADE, GREEN MARBLE etc.

Super lightweight

What makes this brand different from all the others are the new Clima bottles that are super lightweight.

24Bottles have a wide range of products – both basic water bottles and also insulated Clima bottles that will keep your drink hot up to 12 hours. They also have some cool looking tumblers to take for coffee or tea. I get around just fine with a Clima bottle!

Helps you save the planet

By choosing a sustainable water bottle, you begin fighting the plastic industry. I didn’t even notice how much plastic I was wasting before I learned about sustainable water bottles.

Now that I have a good water bottle, it’s helping me save our planet every day, step by step. I really do believe that one person can make a change and that is what 24Bottles is helping me do. My bottle is with me every step of the way.

A socially responsible brand

Besides just selling me the bottle, 24Bottles is a socially responsible brand. From choosing the right materials in the making of the bottle to design and the actual manufacturing. They make people a priority and I can truly sense that – even if it’s only through communication on their social media!

Their goal is to envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This brand does really strive everyday to reduce the bad impact on the environment.

What’s special about every bottle, is that it has a -0.08 written on it. That’s the amount of carbon footprint that you’re NOT leaving by using your water bottle. To fix the carbon emissions they do use during manufacturing the bottles, 24Bottles has planted a forest named Oxygen.

For every purchased bottle they plant 1 tree in their forest which I think is amazing! So far they have planted more than 8.5 thousand trees in the Oxygen forest.

Support the brands that do good for the people and the environment!

Arrange your living space efficiently

To fill up a place so it’s both aesthetic and functional isn’t always the easiest task. Although there are a few interior design rules that can be useful while decorating your own apartment or house.

In this article I’ll share my knowledge on how to make your space bright, spacious, functional and cozy all together.

Hope you enjoy these tips!

Choose your carpet wisely

The era of all wooden floors has ended and carpets are definitely back. They just make the whole place that much more cozy. What’s interesting to know is that the size and placement of your carpet matters a lot.

There are some basic rules interior designers swear by. For example, in the living room – the front of the couch has to be on carpet, however the back of the couch has to be partly on the floor. Carpet is an especially important part of the living space – it’s in the middle of everything. That’s why it’s smart to pick a cool carpet, one that you really love and that makes the whole room that much better.

Try thinking of the color scheme of your space. If your room has many colorful objects, it’s best to choose a neutral colored carpet. However if your room is lacking color, bring out the colorful carpet! Itcan be a breath of fresh air that will make you more happy in your every-day life!

Keep everything in balance

Keeping a healthy balance is one of the most important tricks in interior design. While arranging your living space, there’s no need to put all the huge furniture on one side of the room and leave the other side empty. Try mixing it up, keeping a balance and have fun with it.

Keep in mind that you can also play around with different shapes. Everything doesn’t have to be the same. For example, a classic square shaped couch will go together with a round coffee table.

It’s also worth mentioning not to over decorate. That’s a common mistake – trying to fill up the space as much as you can with posters, books, souvenirs, notes etc. Let the space breathe!

Leave space for movement

Any room has to have space for movement, both for you and other people as well. Walking from one side of the room to the other shouldn’t be a complicated task.

Arrange your space efficiently and make sure you can freely move around. Make sure you will have enough space to walk around your room, do a little dance party or exercise. It’s important not to feel crushed at your home – less is more.

Lamps are essential

The thing that makes the room cozy and comfortable – lights, many of them! Of course, you don’t want to go overboard and live inside a Christmas tree. But it is important to make sure your living space will have enough light.

Use good main lighting and get some decorative lamps, too. Maybe some fairy lights around the bed or some shelves for a more atmospheric and cozy vibe.

Find cool artwork for the walls

The walls of your apartment or house are your canvas. Nobody likes a bland white wall. Choose to decorate it wisely, with paintings or posters or any other artwork that you love.

It is important to note the size of the paintings. If your room is spacious enough, do not choose a small sized painting. If you put up a small painting on the wall behind the couch, it will be hard to see it in its full glory and the wall will still be missing something. The main rule to follow is to choose a painting that’s about ⅔ of the size of a furniture it’s next to.

Get some plants

The best decor for your living space is definitely plants. They have the ability to liven up the space in no time. Also it will greatly benefit your mood and health, air will be fresher.

There are so many different plants. For the sole purpose of decoration you can also choose fake plants. Especially if you’re often busy and can’t be sure you’ll be able to keep them alive. But then again – there are a lot of beautiful plants that are pretty hard to kill. Those are the ones I often go for! 🙂

Hopefully you got some good advice! Have a good day!

Plan your day and be happy

As soon as the end of the year approaches, it is only natural to start thinking of the new year. It brings ideas of new goals and hope for what’s yet to come. What helps me with entering the new year with a fresh perspective is a brand new planner.

I’ve found it to be such a useful every-day gadget. A great planner can be very helpful in managing your daily life – to do lists, meetings, appointments, self motivation and just writing down your thoughts.

Even though there are so many ways to keep a planner digitally, it just doesn’t feel the same. There’s a different kind of feeling, almost stress relief, that you get from writing on real paper. Here’s why a good planner will help you feel happier.

Planner helps with managing time

The main purpose of any planner is to make your life easier by making sure you remember your daily tasks. For those who just don’t seem to have enough hours in one day, a planner is a must have. Constantly moving from point A to point B, it can get really frustrating having to remember it all.

Planners are especially good for correctly planning out your day. Sometimes things can get forgotten and you might even book 2 events around the same time. That can get really stressful and it makes sense for it to result in you always thinking you don’t have enough time for everything. I strongly suggest to always keep your planner around in order to never make that mistake again. When the next event comes, you will know exactly when you are able to book it.

It gives a productivity boost both at work and home

It’s a commonly misjudged opinion that planners are only meant for busy people. I am here to tell you it’s not the case at all.

Planners are about helping you lead an organised life. They’re about collecting all of your thoughts and daily plans. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a busy person who has a bunch of meetings and appointments every day of the week. If your every-day life revolves around being active or staying healthy, or even having a positive outlook on life – planner can be a great help.

It’s good to plan whatever you want. It can be your daily walks, your exercise, meeting friends and even tracking the amount of your daily water intake. Whatever makes you motivated to be productive is good. The most rewarding moment is when you can cross out an already done task. That’s what gives you the boost to keep going and be even more productive.

Planning lowers your stress levels

At some moments we all experience stress. It can come out in a variety of forms but the stress we’re talking about right now, is the feeling of being overwhelmed. That can often happen when you’re not planning your time and day in general.

Of course, stress can be caused by a bunch of different reasons as well. In this case it is important to eliminate as many stress causes as possible. Getting a planner will surely make you feel more relieved and in control.

When you’ll have your day perfectly planned out, you will also notice feeling much calmer. You’ll know exactly what to expect from your day and that kind of reassurance can be truly calming.

Planner can help you track your general health

As mentioned before, you can track anything you’d like in your planner. That includes your health journey.

You can plan out activities, walks outdoors, doctor appointments and your general well being. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Most planners have blank pages that you can fill up to your liking. If it helps, you can even use your planner as a personal diary – write out all your feelings and thoughts.

Some planners also have bed time trackers, bad habit trackers and stuff like that. You can always personalise your planner to your needs and decide what the best way to plan your day is for you.

Eventually you’ll have more free time

Planner gives you a chance to have a healthy daily routine. You will know your priorities and to-do lists. While doing so, you’ll eventually start getting to know yourself better. You’ll be able to figure out how much time every task takes you. Therefore, you will be able to manage your time.

When everything is planned and at the end of the day finished, you will feel rewarded to have all that free time. It will give you more time and will to take up a new hobby, do the things you love the most.

Good luck with finding your perfect planner! I hope it will make your every-day life much happier!