forced juice detox

hi lovelies!
i got another surgery done, yay!
no really, i removed two wisdom teeth, and had to empty my sinuses- fun stuff! in any case, on doctor’s orders i wasn’t allowed any solid food for 10 days, only liquidy foods.
now, for a passionate eater like myself, that sucked bigtime. no steak, no chicken or turkey, no salads and crunchy veggies… but you know what, i decided not to let that get me down, and use it as an incentive to get my juicer down from it’s winter exile on the top kitchen shelf.

the three juicesketeers: juicer, citrus press, blender

lovelies, it was a delicious week. i unleashed my creative juices (puns!) and made up smoothies and juices on a daily basis.
here are my concoctions, with ingredient list:

the getting started
carrot
apple
cucumber
white grape
spinach
beet
raspberry
herbal tea

basically, i just wanted to try everything. first day back home, day 4 of eating liquids, i was sick and tired of water and broth they gave me at the hospital, so i really went for it :)
was delicious, and motivated me for the next day. i have to add though, that the cup i use is 0.5 liter- so im actually drinking at least half a liter of smoothie/juice in the morning, which is enough nutrients to keep me satisfied until the afternoon.

the so good i don’t want to stop

banana
raspberry
blood orange
apple
carrot
herbal tea

i use both the blender, and the juicer. for bananas, raspberries and other soft ingredients, i like to keep all the fibers and just blend them, with water, almond milk, coconut water, herbal tea or skimmed milk. when i finish juicing the harder ingredients, i just add them to the blender, and give it a last spin, so that it’s nicely mixed.

the exotic pink one

the smoothie

the mostly veggie
carrot
celery
lettuce
spinach
white grape
apple

the incredibly yummy

the classic

i got the stitches removed yesterday, and am allowed to start slowly eating solids again. however, it didn’t stop me from having juice today. i’ve gotten pretty used to it, and i wouldn’t want to miss having my delicious vitamin and taste explosion in the mornings!
while i was still recovering, i would have soup in the evening. i used my crock pot to make a delicious, healthy and light chicken rice soup with veggies. i found a recipe for this soup here, but i tweaked it to my needs and liking. i overcooked the rice, so that it pretty much fell apart, and shredded the chicken and veggies to a pulp in the processor. let me tell you, it wasn’t a pretty dish to look at, but it was so delicious! here’s the recipe for my chicken rice soup (of course you dont have to overcook the rice, nor process the chicken):
– 2-3 chicken breast fillets, skinless
– 1 big white onion, chopped
– 2-3 cups of mixed frozen veggies (i used a mix of broccoli, carrots, peas and cauliflower)
– 1 cup of rice (any rice you like)
– 8 cups of water or broth (i used 4 cups of stock and 4 of water- you can use chicken, beef or veggie stock, whichever you prefer)
– herbs
– salt and pepper for seasoning
start by putting half of the veggies in the crock pot, then layer the chicken over it, throw in the herbs, salt and pepper. then add the rice (spread it over the other ingredients),  and add the last layer of veggies over it. add the liquid, making sure everything is covered. cook on medium for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. after about half the time, i like to give it all a stir, and add some more liquid, if i feel the rice absorbed too much.
i had enough to eat from it for 5 days. i’d say it’s about 7-8 generous servings. it tastes amazing when served hot, with some lemon juice drizzled over it

i hope to have motivated you to welcome spring by trying these tasty doses of vitamins, veggies and fruits!
til next time lovelies xxxx

new year, new me

lovelies, let’s breeze past the fact i’ve been inactive for oodles of time, again.

how has 2014 been treating you so far? i, for one, was very happy leaving 2013 behind me- not that it was all bad, but especially the end sucked, with emergency eye surgery in november and getting robbed on christmas… let’s just say i’m looking forward to 2014 being better :)

speaking of better, and referring back to the title of this post, my new year’s resolution is to get in the best shape i’ve been. i’m aiming for ever, but that might be hard going back to the slimness of my 13 year old self. let’s be realistic here.
i’ve started working towards better physical fitness in april, after some events led to a very minimal consumption of food, and saw me losing 1,5 kgs in a week. no better motivation than that to get started on a healthy clean eating regimen! i’ve modelled my food plan on the paleo diet, with added influences of the dukan diet.
of course, it’s much easier to eat clean in the summer, when salads and light foods are especially appealing, but their winter counterparts are just as delicious!
vegetables of all colors come into play, eaten when possible as raw as you can- the less cooked they are, the better. i’ve omitted sugar and sweetener where i can, it’s taken a few days to get used to it, but now i can’t imagine drinking sweet coffee or tea again. lean red meat, chicken, turkey, tuna and salmon also feature heavily in my new diet, and go splendidly with all the vegetables! i haven’t given up grains, i often eat cereal (muesli) in the morning with low fat yogurt and berries, brown rice, wholegrain pasta, as well as wholegrain rye bread for spreads. but i find myself not really craving bread or carbs in any form in general, and when i do feel like having a sandwich, a tortilla is a great substitute for bread!
my drink of choice is water, or green tea. all day long. sometimes i drink peppermint, or other herbal teas too, but usually it’s green, especially in the mornings. in the evening i’ll sometimes switch the green tea for black, and add some skim milk to it (i often add milk to green tea too, it’s delicious!)

step two of the plan, was exercise. obviously. no way around that. nutrition plays an immense part in getting fit, but you have to get off your ass as well.
i’ve posted about my passion for zumba before, and i still do it once or twice a week, but i’ve added a few other elements to my workout regimen.
for the lovelies that haven’t heard of zumba, here’s a short video of what to expect from a class:

i try to go to the gym 3-4 times a week- sometimes less, sometimes more. when i don’t make it to the gym, i’ll go for a run outdoors; i don’t really like running, but it gets the job done, and is a pretty decent workout. i enjoy working out by myself, but i love the classes. when i do a solo session, i usually use the crosstrainer for 30-45 minutes, and then round it off with free weights, focusing on shoulders, triceps and biceps. i often pack in some squats and crunches too, depending on the workout i’ve done the session before.
the classes i frequent apart from zumba are bodyshape (aerobics-cardio), bbp (which stands for bauch-beine-po, abs-legs-ass, a combination of cardio and resistance exercises), body pump and body balance. the latter two are by les mills, and are freaking awesome!
you can read about body pump here, but it’s basically an intense “resistance workout training focusing on low weight loads and high repetition movements”. it is killer. but the feeling you get after doing it overshadows by far your inability to walk up stairs and lift a teacup the next day. it’s addictive. here’s their promo video, and the second one is what to expect from a class:

body balance is a beautiful beautiful class, which combines the elements of tai-chi, yoga and pilates to give you a well rounded, toning, strengthening and calming work out. i usually take a bodybalance class after one of the tougher sessions, to give myself a deep stretch, and calm down in a powerful way from the intensity of the previous class. here’s what to expect from a bodybalance class:

after almost a year (omg time flies!) of working out regularly and eating clean(er), i’m very happy with the results. i’ve lost 8,5 kgs, my arms, legs, back and abs are way more defined, and i’ve lost two dress sizes. the thing that most amazes me, is how working out has become an integral part of my lifestyle, and i’m so happy about it! it’s not a chore, something that i have to do, it’s something i look forward to doing, i want to! love it.
in conclusion, i don’t want to give the impression that i became a total health nut. puh-lease. i still have pizza, mcdonalds, sweets and pretty much any other thing i want. but the key is in the quantity, timing, and necessity. when i order a pizza, i only eat half of it. the other half goes into the fridge/freezer for some other time. when i eat junk, i try to do it earlier in the day, so that my metabolism is still running high enough to burn it effectively. cookies or chocolate in the evening? sure, but instead of eating 10 cookies, i’ll have 4. instead of three rows of chocolate, i’ll eat one. and it’s enough to still the craving. and of course, i then pack an extra bit of time at the gym to soothe my conscience. annoying little bugger it can be.

i’m curious to know whether any of you have tried or are doing these classes, and what you think of them?
let me know!
before i forget, follow me on instagram for updates!

ciao for now, lovelies

 

Haiku

lovelies, a sudden burst of creativity just hit me, and i’m sharing the fruits of my mind with you.
here is a haiku of what is going on right now:

The cats stare at me
In my hands Harry potter
Cat stomachs rumble

Reading Potter book
Emptied suitcase on my bed
I hate unpacking

Fear of tan fading
Autumn is upon us now
Where has summer gone

hope you enjoyed it :)

brownponytail on instagram!

lovelies,
i’m on vacation in egypt right now, which is why i’m not blogging as regularly as promised (too busy tanning, swimming and engaging in summery shenanigans). but, as of recent, i am the proud owner of an iphone, and finally can use instagram!
you guys don’t understand, i love love love it! so much more fun than twitter! i might just delete my twitter account, i use it so rarely, and now that i’ve got instagram, i’ll use it even less. so without further ado, go follow me!
@brownponytail
such a surprise, right? here a couple of igs from my account- expect outfits, scenic shots, vacation pics, random party pics, kitty pictures, whatever tickles my fancy, and the instagram holy grail: food!

my most recent date, or what the hell is wrong with you, man

lovelies,
i’ve very recently gone on a date that was not all that. actually, it really sucked. big time. after it was over i felt like going home, curl up on my bed and cry into my cat’s fur- he wouldn’t have liked it, but he’d take one for the team, i’m sure.
how did it come to the date? well, a friend of mine suggested i get ”tinder”. it’s an app that locates people in your vicinity with the same application. it’s very woman friendly, as you get to ”like” or ”nope” the people that show up on your locator feed, before they see your profile. basically, if you ”like” someone, only then they can see your profile. once there’s a ”match” (both liked eachother), you can start chatting. my girls and i installed it- just for fun, of course! 
after some browsing through the app, this blurry picture of a guy’s profile shows up. despite the blur, i felt like there was something i can work with- i could see just about enough of him to give it a go. what do you know- it was a match!
we get to chitchatting, mainly about what we do to keep cool in the crazy heat we had in vienna. i mentioned going for viennese ice coffee was a regular thing besides being poolside most of the day, and he suggested to meet up for a coffee. he seemed nice enough, so i agreed. we set for the next day, early afternoon. around noon that day, he texts about trouble at work, and if we can postpone to the next day. sure! no problems, sunday afternoon it is!
right, i’m getting ready to go meet this guy, i choose a cute yet effortless outfit of dark denim shorts with tiny little white stars, and a blush pink cami top. we were set to meet at 4 pm- we were only meeting for half an hour, as he had plans with friends and was catching a plane later that evening- totally fine for a first date. at 3:55 he texts me ”if i know how long i’m going to be”.
ummm, ok… it’s not that i’m late, and was just around the corner, so i text back ”2 mins”. once at the cafe, i perform a quick scan of the place but don’t spot someone that could be my blurry date, so i text him that i’m there, and am finding a place to sit. maybe he is running late, that’s why he asked how long i was going to be…
as soon as i sit and whip out my phone, i hear chairs moving and a figure appears by the table. i look up, and the guy asks: ”nadia?”
two thoughts cross my mind instantly- 1. we’ve been texting for two days, the name of the user is right at the top of every chat window- and you STILL get my name wrong? what the hell is wrong with you, man?
2. i’ve seen this guy during my scan! but dismissed him right away because he looks sixteen, not 28!
whatever, i’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, even if i’m a little irritated, stand up and shake his hand, saying ”it’s nadine actually, but close enough i guess.” as soon as he sits down, he asks me if i’m still up for ice coffee, as it’s not that hot anymore. given that it still was 29 degrees C, i was seriously wondering if this guy just has a pretty lame sense of humor, or if he’s serious. i told him i thought it was warm enough to still get two scoops of vanilla ice cream in coffee, yes.

viennese ice coffee

moments later the waitress shows up, and wants to take our order. he asks her if they served ice coffee, she says ”yes of course”! then, he asks how much it costs. when she answers 5 euros, he deems it a fair price, as he says ”thats ok, i’d like an ice coffee”. i’m honestly speechless by now. seriously, how much did you think it was going to cost? this guy is not doing himself any favors…
i proceed with ordering one too, and try to start a conversation. i ask what kind of job entails an emergency on a saturday afternoon, and he informs me that he ”actually lives and works in london, but is in vienna for business over the weekend.” is this guy for real? how in any way, is that an answer to my question? so i make myself clearer: ”what is it that you do?” ” oh finance, investment blablablabla (don’t actually remember, i was so fascinated, obviously), but i don’t really want to talk about what i do, as it doesn’t have a very good reputation. what do you do?” so i tell him that i’m in between jobs right now, and enjoying the summer, but that i used to work at a bank in the communications sector, and didn’t really like it. at that, he proceeds to freely recount how the firm he works at just pulled a gajillion euro deal with said bank, and just keeps on going on and on about money and work… i’m sorry, didn’t you not want to talk about work? why am i being treated to such a riveting tale?
when he’s done, he asks me if i’m still going to the pool today. i answer that it’s too late now, but that i was looking forward to spending the whole next day in the water. you know what his next question is? ”when do you get off work?” i kind of blankly stare at him at this point, and explain very slowly that right now, i’m not working, but when i used to work, i would get off around 5 pm. wow. did this guy not listen to a word i said? what is wrong with you, man!?
as the allotted time for the date comes to an end, i’m beyond happy, and when he starts getting antsy, i beckon the waitress over so that we can pay and i can get the hell out of there. needless to say, he doesn’t even attempt to stop me paying for my own ice coffee, and proceeds to pay for his own. don’t get me wrong, i really didn’t want him to pay for it, but it’s about the gesture, the principle of gallantry- no, not gallantry, manners!
when we walk out, he suggests we should add eachother on facebook- i say sure, but my mind is saying no way. i ask him for his last name. ”i’ll whatsapp it to you.” wow. such mystery. not for the first time, but what is wrong with you, man!?
at the end, he looks for a car2go, and i spot one across the street; when he makes no move to go to it, i ask him ”don’t you need it? well then bye!” we shake hands, and i speedwalk into the distance.

this is the second date i’ve been on recently, and even though the first one was great, but sadly there was absolutely no chemistry, this date made me feel really frustrated, disappointed, sad, and most of all hopeless. where are all the good guys? taken. or gay. or just want to be friends. isn’t that great? time to get another cat, i think. or maybe i should spice it up with something a little more exotic like a chinchilla or a mini horse. i think my cats would like that.

hello, i’m your new roommate!

guilt

yes! ok! you got me! i’m guilty!

my guilt box is plenty full!

why, you ask?
well, because i just saw that my last post was in january!
shameful. hopeless. bad.
i know!
i’m sorry. so so so sorry. if i were a dog, this is what i would look like right now

i am denver. denver is me.

i will not let it happen again, i promise. you know what the worst part is? i’ve actually been photo-documenting everything noteworthy, so that i can blog about it.
without wanting to bore you about being uninspired, i’ll just blame life again. ha! yes, life has handed me quite a few cards- taken away some, and then dished out some more. so there, that’s why i haven’t been blogging. oh yeah, and the weather (the weather is always a great scapegoat). it has been so nice outside these past weeks, that i really barely use the computer. so there. mobile blogging? oh right, i have that too… ok well then here: my phone battery always runs out too fast! ha! ha! gotcha.

in case you don’t know who denver is, you need to watch this gem:

 

nominations make my day!

firstly, i would like to thank the lovely naomi from bewitchery, le très cute chat texas from texas, cat in new york, and the inspiring lindsay from little fashionista on the prairie for nominating me for the addictive blog, the super sweet blogger, and the one lovely blog awards. only they know that they’ve nominated me ages ago, and i’m only getting around to do it now. *ssshhhh secrets*

secondly, i want to thank lisa from mademoiselle snow, and tianna from storybook apothecary for nominating me for the versatile blogger and the beautiful blogger award.
i’m really really honored to receive these nominations, they mean the world to me! i am so thankful for all you lovely people reading my blog, you don’t understand!

now, i will list the rules for all nominations, but i don’t think i’ll be able to follow them because… well, it’s 5 nominations… that’s a lot of rules! bear with me please…

addictive blog award rules:
1. Thank the person awarding you
2. Share a little about why you blog and how the journey started.
3. Paste the blog award on your page.
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers you feel deserve the award.

super sweet blogger award rules:
1. The nominee has to thank the person that nominated them
2. Answer the 5 Super Sweet Questions
3. Nominate a bakers dozen of other Super Sweet Bloggers and let them know
1. cookies or cake?
definitely both. it’s too hard, i can’t decide.
2. chocolate or vanilla?
vanilla.
3. what is your favourite sweet treat?
i love cupcakes and muffins, but i’m also a total cookie whore.
4. when do you crave sweet things the most?
usually in the afternoon, but sometimes i find myself craving sweets in the morning.
5. if you had a sweet nickname what would it be?
ummm… i really don’t know, but lemoncookiecupcakevanillasweetie has a nice ring to it.

one lovely blog award rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Add The One Lovely Blog Award.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Pass the award on to 15 nominees.
5. Include this set of rules.
6. Inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.

the versatile blogger award rules:
1. thank the person who gave you this award.
2. include a link to their blog.
3. next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
4. nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
5. finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

beautiful blogger award rules:
1. link back the person who nominated you.
2. post the award on your page.
3. tell 7 facts about yourself.
4. nominate 7 bloggers and let them know they have been nominated.

right, so im going to start sharing things about myself:
1. i’m dying to get another tattoo
2. i can’t wait to go to new york again
3. i’m really sick of winter and the snow, in fact if i could apparate, i’d be on a beach right now
4. i wish the wizarding world in harry potter were real
5. i would love to taste butterbeer- it sounds delicious
6. i love baking, but i don’t bake often for myself because then i feel guilty about eating all the goodies
7. i would love to have the means to open an animal sanctuary and rescue- hopefully sometime in the future i can do it
8. i’m obsessed with sweet potatoes and pumpkin
9. when i’m stressed i drink cinnamon tea with milk
10. when i see nailpolish, i have a compulsion to buy it
11. same goes for shoes
12. i love to sing
13. i love to party and go out as much as i love staying in my sweats at home and chill
14. i’m proud of myself for having nurtured this blog for a year now (yes, happy birthday brownponytail :) )

ok, that’s all i can come up with at the moment, sorry lovelies! now i will nominate blogs i follow, but not for specific awards- the nominees can choose which award nomination they want to follow :)
– fashion noodles
– she is impeccable
– rara reid
– closet cast
– candy coloured dreams
– imagination is spicy
– pixi wishes and forehead kisses
– my style <3
– beautiful kayekie
– hungry hinny
– keeping up with the kelly
– cinnamon spring
– adventures in polishland
– a purrfect cat
– e-namel
and lastly, i want to raise awareness about the following blog stop animal abuse – it’s very informative, quite graphic at times, but it just shows the truth about the atrocities going on in the animal kingdom, which i think everyone should know about.

thank you again to everyone that nominated me, and i hope that all you lovelies are good!

holidays in the winter wonderland

hello lovelies!

i haven’t blogged in a while… again… well instead of making up excuses, i’m just going to power through!

i was away for three weeks over the winter holidays, i went to switzerland to celebrate christmas and new years with my family and friends in the mountains, it was beautiful!
(the only reason i will give for not blogging while there, is the internet connection sucked- like really sucked.)
here are a few snapshots i took with my phone while going on walks or mini-breaks on the slopes, i hope you enjoy them as much as i did!

i also want to show you my new year’s party outfit, a beautiful silver-gray bebe bandage dress, which i accessorized with my tiffany’s key charm necklace, black opaque tights, and steve madden peep toe booties (not in picture).

i hope everyone’s year has started well, and that you are healthy and excited about what’s to come!

x

the next step

lovelies, as you know, i am not particularly fond of my job.

it’s not fulfilling nor challenging me, and it sure as hell isn’t interesting.
usually, at least the co-workers are a highlight… well, mine aren’t. save for maybe two people, i really don’t care much about any of them. doesn’t sound like much fun, right?

i am very happy to tell you, that today is my last day at work.

i handed in my resignation three weeks ago. the feeling i got when i walked out of my boss’ office was of sheer joy and relief. i took that as a good sign.

suddenly my work ethic and outlook changed- i became more relaxed and focused, fending off the negative feelings, because i knew that there was a time limit. every day i chanted a little mantra of “only x more days to go”- believe me, it worked like magic! i was no longer bothered by my colleagues, or the petty things happening at the office. a calmness enveloped me, ever since i made my decision, and it’s a wonderful feeling.
i might walk out the building dancing the macarena, who knows. maybe i’ll hop out gangnam style.

it’s really not worth it, doing a job you despise. of course everyone needs the money. but there has to be some quality of life left. one shouldn’t have to dread going to work every morning of every day, it’s just such a heavy chunk of negativity to carry- it will eventually bring you down. and i don’t want that for myself. i could almost see my joie de vivre dissipate, month after month, and decided it can’t go on like that- i refuse to lose my energy and positivity because of a job. just no.

so now the job search begins again. i’m not picky, i have a wide range of interests and capabilities and i’m a quick learner- i like to think of myself as quite versatile. i don’t expect to find my absolute dream job, where i will be so happy i don’t want to go home, but i’ve learned my lesson: i need a job where i have at least the slightest interest in the subject, or where i can honestly say “i’m ok with doing this for the next x years”.
it’s not going to be easy, but i’m looking forward to the challenge.

has anyone of you been in a similar situation?
have you quit your job before, because you were unhappy with it?
i would love to hear your stories!

shoemanic

lovelies, i need to confess that i have a shoe addiction.
the thing that gives me great strength, is knowing that i am not alone with my condition.
but at least i’ve come to admitting it. that’s the first step, isn’t it?

i honestly don’t know how many pairs of shoes i own. but i do know that it’s still in the double digits… i think… no, it is. maybe i should get down to counting them some day. but then again i might really freak out and recoil in horror at the sheer number of shoes that will be laying around the floor.
ah i dream of the day, when i can have a whole room just for my shoes. or a room big enough to fit my shoes and my clothes. just looking at some of the shoe closets of some celebrities makes me want my own even more!
take a look:

rachel zoe’s shoe closet

khloe kardashian’s shoe closet (that’s not even all of it!)

christina aguilera’s closet (home to about 750 pairs!)

just wow, right?
i can fit in my closet just about the shoes needed for spring/summer and fall/winter respectively. it has a couple of top shelves that are really high up, so i stow away the unseasonal ones up there. however, it is still a bit of a pain, because i do have to really wedge every pair in there, and stack them on top of eachother…  here is a picture of my closet during spring/summer. you can actually see my timberlands and winter sneakers in the top part, below and behind them are boots and uggs.

not much space left…

of course it doesn’t help that i wear a size 41- my shoes are by default quite big! that is probably a reason why i do have so many shoes, because my size is a bit harder to find, when i do spot one that fits, i pounce!
i made a bet with myself, that for the whole month of october i wouldn’t shop for anything. ruthlessly nothing. and you know what? i did it! i went an entire month without buying so much as a t-shirt, nothing! i rewarded myself by buying a pair of shoes in the first november week. bam!

so pretty, couldn’t just leave them. no.

now that i’ve shared my main addiction (yes, there’s a couple of minor ones that involve bags and jeans…), i want to hear from you! what can’t you resist buying?