Exploring Lisbon

Yesterday my boyfriend and I went on a little adventure. Since he had a day off at work it was the perfect opportunity to explore outside of our city and to just take in Lisbon's beauty.

We decided to go to the Colombo Centre to have lunch and walk around. He was really keen on having Burguer King (we don't have one in our city) and to check in on the new technologies, whilst I just wanted to look at clothes and books (my favourite things) and, indeed, we found all we were looking for there.

I browsed through Bertrand's store to find Marzia's new book but they only had it in Portuguese and I prefer reading in English so I guess I will have to order it online which is a bummer but oh well. Although I did buy a new shirt from Primark which I love!

Afterwards we took the metro to Terreiro do Paço and my boyfriend was delighted (I think he had never been there). It was packed with tourists and rightly so, it is beautiful.

(The big green screen behind the lady is where the Euro games are transmitted live)

We stayed here for a little while enjoying the sun and taking photos and then it was time to make our way to the São Jorge Castle.

We decided to walk there and if you are planning on doing the same thing please take some fresh water with you. It's a long way up and with the sun on your back the whole time it can be quite tiresome. We made the terrible mistake of not taking water with us and we had to stop at a place which sold it for 1€... you can literally buy bottles of water in the supermarket for 20cents, it was stupid of us.

The price to enter the castle varies depending if you are a student or not, your age, etc. We both paid 5€ and it was definitely worth it, the view you get from the top is breathtaking.

Hope you enjoyed all the photos that we took. They weren't that many because I wasn't planning on writing this post and they were also taken with our phones instead of a proper camera (Xperia Z1 and P8 lite) but I quite like how they turned out so I decided to share them here :)

Happy Friday! x

Celebrating Mother's Day!

In Portugal, the first Sunday of May symbolises Mother's Day and this year it so happened to be the 1st of May. It's a new month and a new day to cherish your mother (like you should every day).

To celebrate this occasion my parents decided to go on a picnic. In the past few days the weather has been beautiful and today was no exception. We took our Canon with us to take many pictures and I decided to share some with you.

I'm not usually a big fan of the countryside (bugs, bugs everywhere) but I truly enjoyed this experience. It was lovely to breath fresh air for a change, unlike the polluted city. Most importantly, my mother loved it and that makes me happy :) I look forward to more trips like this.

Happy Sunday! x

Annie Recommends: A Padaria Portuguesa

After almost a year without writing in my blog, the little writing bug has come back. I'm not entirely sure why I stopped - sometimes I don't know what to write about, or I'm just too lazy, or I simply can't find the time to sit down and write about what I want because of university. But here I am again. And I'm bringing you something I don't think I have ever done before - a recommendation.

Trust me, if I take the time to write you this is because I bloody well love this place! It's called 'A Padaria Portuguesa' and you can find it almost anywhere in Lisbon. It's a cute café with a rustic vibe to it, extremely cozy. They serve salads, sandwhiches, every kind of bread and they have a multitude of cakes to choose from.

The first time I went there was to try their brigadeiro cake (probably a poor translation for 'bolo de brigadeiro'), my mouth is already watering. It was so delicious.

More recently I went in there to try their new 'tarte de morango' (again, I don't really know how to translate that haha). I always ask for an orange juice but you could take advantage of their deal of a cake + a coffee for 2€.

If you ever visit Lisbon and don't know where to grab a bite, don't forget my recommendation, you won't regret it!

Happy Friday! x

Summer Essentials

Summer is considered the best season for some people (me) and in order to enjoy it to the fullest, some precautions are necessary.

In Portugal and other countries the temperature can be so high that it becomes difficult to be outside and endure the warm breeze. Going to the beach isn't the only place where you have to protect yourself, having a stroll around the city can be tiresome when the sun is on its' peak.

Before leaving the house I always check the weather for that day and dress accordingly. If I am too hot I tend to feel weak and dizzy so I usually opt for shorts/skirt + tshirt/croptop/tank top or a dress. 

Tank top - Tally Weijl
Shorts - Lefties

Afterwards I spray sunscreen on the parts of my body that are exposed, even if I'm not going to the beach, because ain't nobody got time to get sunburnt. And don't forget to take the coolest sunnies you have to protect your eyes (or any sunnies, really).

I prefer to have my hair loose but if it's one of those days when I know it's going to be really hot, I just put it up in a ponytail. I only apply the anti-damage multi-protection cream (Kérastase Soleil displayed in the photo) when I go to the beach - it protects your hair from UVs and salt or chlorinated water. Also take a lipbalm with you, especially if your lips have a tendency to become dry like mine.

Lastly, don't forget to keep yourself hydrated. Take a bottle of water with you or buy one when you feel like you need a nice cold drink :)

Happy Wednesday! x

(take care of yourself)

Don't Forget to Love

When does death become easy to deal with?

Some of us "experience" death with a young age by hearing that a relative, a close friend, or maybe someone who was well known in our locality passed away. If my memory doesn't fail me, the first time I had to deal with death was when I was still in primary school. It was an old lady who lived next to my dad's office and she used to invite my older brother and I to her house and give us madeleines.

My reaction goes through a long process and has always been the same: the news shock me and as I digest them, I reminisce about all the memories that I shared with that person. It's the same feeling as when you finish a good book and you just sit there thinking about it. It might take a while but eventually it finally hits me that that person is gone, forever, and the tears start rolling - the moment leading to it is as if I was expecting someone to tell me "it's okay, you can still see him" and then I realise that that is not possible.

I didn't want to write a sad post but today, two years ago, my bunny passed away.

His name was Chico and my dad brought him home to us after his own father, my grandfather, passed away. I never truly forget him, there are some days when I remember him out of the blue and I smile. The day he died was really painful and I cried through the night and the morning after...

I suppose the reason behind this post is to remind you to love those around you, even your pets, because no one is imortal. Tell them you love them, hug them, kiss them, because one day you won't get that chance.

Some people might have a pet and forget to love him because work is occupying them, they have to go away for a week or they are too tired. Don't forget to always find some free time for your pet, they too deserve to be loved :)

Happy Monday! x

(hug your pet and loved ones)

Pierre René Nail Polish

One thing I like doing on my free time and whenever my nails haven't been bitten to death is to give them a pop of colour. I can't say I am the best at this job, sometimes they look like a child paint them, but I try and I am extremely happy when I succeed in my girly task.

Somehow when I use the Pierre René nail polish I hardly ever mess up, it's like it has some anti-fail magic! It's really easy to use and most of the times my nails look good with only one coat which is a time saver.

The nail polish on the photo is no32 and my absolute favourite.

I already own around 6 different nail polishes of this brand and I definitely want to purchase some more :)

Happy Monday! x

Book Review: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Uff, that title is a mouthful!

Today I bring to you a review of a book I had to read for one of my university classes. I had no expectations and I usually enjoy every type of book, be it drama, romance, comedy, etcetera. However, other than the occasional funny parts, this book isn't a favourite and it took me a while to finish. One of the reasons can be the fact that it was a required reading and that usually takes the pleasure out of it, or maybe it just simply isn't my cup of tea.

There's no mistaking with the title - the book is indeed about the adventures of a boy named Huckleberry Finn and he is the one 'writing' the book therefore the spelling isn't always correct, be it that some words are written the way you pronnounce them. Sometimes the phrases are a bit tricky, especially when the slaves are talking, and a solution that my professor gave us was to read out loud in those parts, it actually helps understanding. They also refer to the slaves as the 'N-word' so if you are sensitive about that kind of things then I definitely don't recommend reading this book.

As I have already said, the story has some really funny parts but it can get a little boring at times. If you are into American literature or/and adventure, you should give this book a try :) I'll leave you with the synopsis that is on the back of the book.

Favourite Quotes:

• "The average man's a coward."
• "Human beings can be awful cruel to one another."

Happy Saturday! x

App Review: FatSecret

I was recently introduced to an app that allows you to keep track of your eating habits and your daily, or once in a while, activities/exercises (walking counts as an exercise) called FatSecret. At first I was skeptical about downloading it because I didn't want to constantly worry about my weight as that isn't healthy at all and can lead to depression and lack of selfesteem; but I decided to give it a try because I knew I could just delete it if it turned out for the worst.

I suppose the thing that draws me the most to it is the fact that I can have everything neatly organised, I can be quite the perfectionist. When you create an account it will ask you your gender and your current weight and height and whether you want to lose/gain/maintain. It informs you about your DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) and your nutritional summary, etcetera - you just need to register daily what you eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks.

(My account is in Portuguese but you can choose your country)

If you can't be bothered to register everything you eat then maybe this isn't the app for you! It's like a personal diary for your food - if you slack on the entries then it beats the purpose of it. If, however, you're like me and you don't like having too many apps on your phone or you constantly worry about the battery, it doesn't consume that much and you can always stick to the online website, it functions exactly like the app. There's also a section for the community where you can share your weight history and support others on their journey.

This app had the opposite effect on me than the one I thought it would have - it really motivates me to eat healthy and do some exercise when I eat more than I should (as you can witness on the first photo). By eating healthy I don't mean that suddenly I revolutionised my eating habits because I love my McDonalds and a good crepe but it does help keeping track on how much I am consuming.

You also have the option to weight yourself daily so you can see the transformations on your body daily but I prefer to only do it once a month; I have heard that doing it daily can severely affect your selfesteem because our bodies are always changing and we start worrying that we are doing something wrong.

Note that right at the start they warn you that they aren't professionals and some information may be wrong! Common sense goes a long way, don't use this app wrongly. If you determined to lose weight you should probably consult a specialist.

Let me know what you think of it, whether you have already used it or if you try it now! :)

Happy Thursday! x

The Cutest Powerbank

Powerbanks are something I had never heard of before until my boyfriend bought me one as a Christmas present. The word wasn't familiar and I had never seen one in my life so I was completely clueless when I opened the present.

He explained that it was meant to charge your phone if the battery died whilst you were on your whereabouts and you didn't have the charger with you, or the time to keep it plugged long enough for it to gain sufficient battery.

You just need to connect the phone to the powerbank with the white cable that comes with it and voilá, a portable charger. It fits perfectly in my bag so I always have it with me :) My only recommendation is, if you use it, to leave it charging overnight to be sure that it can charge your phone's battery completely the next time you need it. Depending on its' capacity it can charge your phone a certain amount of times before it, too, needs to be charged but I don't understand any of that so I rather play it safe.

It's also super easy to know when it is completely charged. It is only when the red light at the bottom stops blinking that it is at 100%.

My boyfriend bought me a black powerbank but, for some reason, it charged every phone except mine so he bought me this cute pink bear one and kept the black one for himself <3

It is literally so handy that I was puzzled that no one had ever mentioned it to me before!

Happy Wednesday! x

To Love Is To Share

To share happiness, sadness, achievements, failures. Love can be selfish, but it can also be caring, passionate. To love is to share a life in common. A life in the plural.

My boyfriend and I bought a digital money box to put some coins in every once in a while, even though we still don't know what we are going to use it for.

It has been suggested that we save up until Christmas time in order to have sufficient money to buy the gifts we idealise for each other. I have also thought about using it for future travels together, although that would take a while. Or we could just use it whenever it was necessary, it's always nice to have a backup. Be free to share what you usually spend your savings on :)

We opted for a digital one because it makes it so much easier to keep track with how much money you have deposited, even though this way you are confined to coins. I suppose you could put notes in there (if you are feeling rebel) and then add it to the total of the coins.

What I really adore about it is how it knows which coin we are dropping because it measures its' size. You can see on the screen how much you have added before it gives you the total result. There's something addicting about this process; so far we have collected 10€ and it was bought yesterday...

Hope this post has inspired you to save up instead of spending it all ;)

Happy Friday! x

Book Review: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

I love reading and I have been a fan of Zoe, or Zoella as she is best known, for a couple of years; when she announced that she was writing her own book I felt happy for her and excited with the thought of one day having it in my hands.

In this kind of situations, when we know the author as closely as we do (fans/readers) because of her blog and youtube channel, the pressure and the expectations are incredibly high. Each one of us has an idea of what we want it to be, how we want or how we expect it to be written.

Personally I was hoping for a different story. Zoe announced what it was going to be about and she shared the name of the main characters and gave a little hint at the plot and in my head I started imagining the way it would develop - it didn't disappoint me. However, there were some moments that made me cringe and I even got second-hand embarassement. Sometimes it was just too corny. I can see a Disney adaptation in the future exhibiting during Christmas time.

But the truth is, I loved it. It is honestly so easy to follow and I was completely hooked. It took me about three days to read and it could have been less if I hadn't been so busy. There were some bits that I wished had been explained better but they are insignificant, I just pay too much attention to details. It is truly well written, I have a few favourite quotes to share! It also portrays difficulties that are felt nowdays (and always) like bullying and panic attacks.

I recommend it and I will definitely read book two :)

Favourite Quotes

"(...) sometimes you just have to let people go."

"There are some people you officially fall in love with, within seconds of meeting them."

"Just because most of the world does something, it doesn't make it right"

"Because when you find someone who really likes you for you, and you really like them for them, you have to do all you can to not lose them."

"you are my inciting incident"

"It's very hard to be good all of the time."

"It's so hard to try to describe how I'm feeling. The best way to put it is that when I'm with him I feel like I've met my matching person."

"Whenever something horrible happens to you time goes by so slowly that every second feels like an hour, but whenever something really amazing happens to you time goes by so fast you blink and an entire week has gone."

Happy Friday! x