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Beauty and Skin Care, Fitness, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography

Weekend Friday Favourites

10/05/202010/05/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

Welcome to another Weekend Friday Favourites! I hope you’re having a great weekend!

Apologies for the gap in Weekend Friday Favourites. Some of you many know Spain has one of the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe. Translation unless an essential worker you could only leave your house for the supermarket, bank, doctors or work. 7 weeks of not being allowed outside unless a bike ride to the supermarket or bakers lead me to dark place. It’s not the worst dark place I’ve found myself in. Maybe, a different room of darkness. Add a huge birthday this month of a new decade for a girl it’s all downhill. Thankfully the Spanish government last weekend has allowed us out to exercise. We have times slots based on age and I can’t tell you how good it feels being able to freely within reason run and cycle. To see the sea up close again, feel open space, see flowers, birds and other people with happy faces. Hopefully in a week Catalunya can move into phase 1 of a little more freedom as restrictions are eased.

Freedom Flowers. 1st bike ride in 7 weeks!

I’m also getting up early too! We’re only allowed out once day for exercise within the 2 time slots. I’ve chosen the mornings between 06.00-10.00 as I’m guaranteed daylight and sunshine. The other time slot is 20.00-23.00 however 21.00 it starts to get dark. I need all the sunshine and vitamin D I can get.

Anyways, Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye recently. Please feel free to comment below what’s been making you smile recently!

Mike Peele Hip-Hop Fit

As I was unable to run, on run days I did Popsugar Fitness Dance workouts. Most trainers are guest hosts with links to their own YouTube or fitness businesses. I took a Mike Peele’s Hip-Hop Dance Workout and really enjoyed it. Seeing if he had more classes of his own on YouTube he does! Pre USA stay at home orders Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs California

06/05/202014/05/2020by natjtan3 Comments

It’s amazing the things you notice travelling outside your natural habitat. One thing that stood out for me on holiday earlier this year in California was the information signs.

Signs I’d seen a million times in photos and on TV in a pinch me moment I’m seeing in person. Universal information signs that need no words, but sometimes leave you guessing optical illusions or alternate different meanings. The for real am I here info signs? Or anywhere in the USA if you live outside of the USA. The psychology behind them. Knowing most people look down or only a little ahead walking. The grammar’s different too. I find the USA English uses a more formal language with signs than UK English making them seem at times a little old fashioned and proper.

One of my favourite signs that caught my eye were No Dumping signs next to road drains. I’m a sucker for animal designs so of course I noticed these. I think every town has a different design. I didn’t get all train spotting looking out for them. Just when I came across them.

San Francisco Continue reading “Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs California” →

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle, Thought, Weekend Friday Favourites

Weekend Friday Favourites

22/03/202022/03/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

Happy Spring!

Here comes the warm!

How are you?! I hope you’re okay!

If you’re isolating, under lockdown yet are allowed to run or cycle outside for exercise and aren’t afraid, please run and cycle outside! Here in Spain we’re under Covid-19 lockdown. We’re allowed out for food, medicine, the bank, doctors, work or to walk the dog. From Monday, Catalunya region needs a form saying where you’re going to and from. Any other reason is out. Fines are in place. So soak up the sunshine out, soak up the greenery, soak up the spring flowers I can only see from my balcony!

Cherry blossom last week. I can only imagine how much more in bloom it is

This Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile recently or caught might be a little all over the place. Some might be about what I’m grateful for now my world is vastly smaller.

Sea View

I’m thankful I have a sea view from all the windows and balconies. There’s some grey concrete jungle inbetween, but I can see nature, some greenery and trees. The weather gets rainy next week, which helps me deal with the days better. I have morning sun Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Recycle Less Update: Updated Finds

27/02/202027/02/2020by natjtan2 Comments

Welcome back to another Recycle Less Update! Some items may have been featured in previous Recycle Less Updates however below are improved finds. As some long time readers know I’ve been on a journey for a few years to reduce the amount of plastic I consume and stuff in general. It’s not easy and any plastic free finds, eco environmental finds I find, I share!

Since starting being more conscious buying less plastic I’m actually buying less as well. Double whammy! When you see plastic everywhere you realise just how much there is, sometimes despair now it’s here it’s never going to go away. I’m not anti plastic everything. It has valuable use when used right. I try to avoid unnecessary plastic whenever I can. Food and beauty items are still my number one plastic hurdles. Whenever I can grocery shopping I use cotton produce bags (I even take them on holiday!), go for skincare without nasty ingredients (since starting being plastic freer, it’s evolved in avoiding petroleum plastics and it’s derivatives in skincare, food), do my best to find the plastic free alternatives. I’m no angel, shoes are plastic as I’m vegan too. For example I didn’t know shoe glue can contain animal gelatine for the bonding. What’s that got to do about being plastic free? Sometimes you have to compromise, give and take and do the best you can caring as much you can for the environment.

Kaiapuni Eco Dental Floss and Refills

Previously I was compromising with a silk floss. It came in a glass container however being silk and me being vegan I was never happy about it. But it was better than nylon or ‘plastic’ floss. Even since I saw a photo of a seal with floss wrapped around its neck cutting into its flesh, I’ve been anti plastic floss. An Amazon recommendation was Kaiapuni floss £5.99 plus shipping. A corn based floss making it 100% biodegradable and clumsy friendly container being metal. Refills are cheap, £6.99 for 2 Continue reading “Recycle Less Update: Updated Finds” →

Fitness, Lifestyle, Nature, Travel

Weekend Friday Favourites

22/02/202022/02/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

I hope you’re having a great weekend so far! Mine may seem quite as it’s a mostly at home weekend, but there’s so much on my to do list which I’m happy to work through. I’m sure I’ll only get a few things done and everything else like usual gets rolled over to next week, month, year. Anyway, my favourite post of the week to write, Weekend Friday Favourites! Things that have made me smile or caught my eye this week. Well, recently as I away travelling so missed few WFFs.

Flamingo Just Because

Late Winter/Early Spring Light

Zoo Lockers

Previously Barcelona Zoo lockers were a non refundable €4. Now they’re free! You enter a code of your choice and can use the locker as many times as you want during 1 visit. This means I can go before or after the gym without lugging around a heavy gym bag around the zoo!

Fabletics Downtown Backpack

I’ve been after a smarter or chicer looking rucksack for when I’m running around the centre. Sometimes I feel a bit scruffy with my gym rucksack. During Fabletics Black Friday week sales something said checkout their backpack I’ve had my eye on. Each day what was on sale changed and that particular day was the backpack for about half price! I’d never have paid full price for it and if I’d had waited until Black Friday I’d only have had red to choose from. Even though it’s smaller in size than my gym rucksack (Patagonia 26L) I can fit Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →