10Aug 2017

Let’s talk about doing and not just trying for once

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Welcome back! First things first: don’t try! Now, I always speak about believing in yourself and trying. In the end, if you don’t try, you won’t know your potential. So if I say don’t even try, it seems quite paradox, doesn’t it. Quite frankly, it does. Now, let me get deeper into the topic.

Of course, I am a big believer of chasing your dreams. Go for it! Don’t let time pass by and suddenly you wake up regretting that you did not “try” it. That is to say, speaking of trying in the past sounds so much better, doesn’t it? Still don’t get it? Let me try to explain.

I am a big believer in following your dreams and doing what you love most. My saying is and always will be: go for it! And these three simple words are all they are. There is no “try” in it. My personal opinion is that one should approach a new idea, an adventure, a task or whatever it is with the opinion and set of mind that one will achieve, will manage and will go for it. People that say they will try often don’t actually give their full potential. Understand what I am getting at?

I have heard it over and over again. I tried. I really did try. Ok, so basically your goal was to get rid of some extra pounds (classic, no?). Usually (trying to generalize), people that say I will lose 5 pounds will actually manage – no matter in what time frame. Those that say they will give it a try, usually are not putting in 100%. Think about it. Think about how you approach certain goals and how the mental strength changes from being unsure and potentially scared, to receiving adrenaline and believing in yourself a little more once you say (try sounding convinced!) YES I can do it and I will manage it.

To summarize: trying – when speaking about really having gone for something and (for whatever reason) failed – is of course normal and can happen. Yet, one should not use the phrase “I tried” as an excuse for not having achieved what was initially pursued. I understand this is often easier said than done, but I also believe that it’s a booster for once belief and mental strength. Now: dream, believe, schedule, work on it and win it! xo

21Jul 2017

Clean Chicken Yogurt & Fruit Salad

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Happy Friday! My favorite day. Not because I don’t enjoy work, not because I go out, but because I can sleep in the next day and thus stay up a little longer for once in a while without being fully sleep deprived the next morning. That is, if I manage to sleep in. Tonight I have date-night – and I decided to cook at my place. I love to get all cozy at home and just enjoy home-cooked food once in a while. Same thing tomorrow – I will be having one of my girl friends over to chitchat on the couch, be lazy, drink some vino, and enjoy some home-cooked deliciousness (or so I hope). I have been searching for some new recipes to tingle my taste buds just a little bit more these days.

Looking at theskinnyconfidential.com recipes, I chose one of her recipes (that is part of a meal plan) and slightly changed it – just because I did not have the same exact ingredients on hand. I love her recipes because they are simple, super quick to make, and easily amendable. That is, I suck at following recipes to the point – I always need to put my own note on it and I cannot weight foods for life. I just don’t have the patience.

So here I tried a super healthy, super clean, and surprisingly fresh tasting chicken salad that I combined with fruit and nuts. For informational purposes: I have started buying (as often as possible) all organic products. Also, Coop (favorite little supermarket around the corner of my house) offers a huge range of glutenfree and lactosefree products since a while; which makes cooking just so much more fun.

So for this salad, I used the following ingredients:

– 2 pieces of chicken (around 220g), poached at home and after cut into bite-size pieces
– 1/2 a yogurt (natural taste, lactose free in my case)
– a good handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
– a good handful of seedless grapes, cut in halves
– 1 medium-sized green apple, cut in bite-size pieces
– a small handful of cut almonds

And believe it or not – that is it. All of the above ingredients were tossed in a large bowl, well stirred and immediately served. Oh, and this keeps you fuller for longer than you though (protein packed, I assume) and lasted me for two meals (kept in the fridge).

I would also think that some fresh orange pieces could taste great in it, perhaps in stead of the grapes – so that is something I will surely try out next time. Also, if you want your salad a with a little more spice or taste, try adding in a spoonful of agave syrup for sweetness, or some chilli flakes for the spicy kick. Lastly, fresh lemon juice is always a good idea.

Let me know your thoughts and if you have tried out this recipe – or anything similar! xo

10Jul 2017

Let’s talk about honesty

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Another week, another let’s talk about seshh..! I have received a lot of positive feedback in personal messages on Instagram and Snapchat regarding my last post – and I want to thank you for that! Also, my views on the blog have doubled within a short time; amazing! I have noticed there are a lot of unspoken topics out there, that everyone seems to shy away from or only talk about in an ideal, oh-so-perfect(non-existent)-way, although it is something absolutely normal. We all deal with more or less the same problems in life (speaking jealousy, cheating, our love life, honesty, work-life-balance, etc.), yet no one talks about the negative sides. Or let’s say that most people try to demonstrate their best side only and don’t want to show the unpleasant side of things. I want to talk more about these things – and bring some honesty (and my personal opinion) to you.

So here we go: Honesty. It is such a simple term and so easy to achieve. Simply be honest, speak with your heart and don’t make a scene that is unnecessary. What seems easy, however, is rather rare nowadays.

Honesty is so important. I am a true believer of being honest – and it is what makes people be honest towards you. Yes, there are always people out there that won’t be honest or like to keep certain things in the dark. That is to say, everyone should have their secrets; it’s what makes people interesting, too. What I don’t approve of, is lying.

Honesty makes your life so much easier. Think about it, whenever you make up a lie or try to hide something from someone, it all becomes so much more complicated. You have to keep up that lie, always have to portray yourself in a way that isn’t completely you. It’s just so tiring. Personally, I am a huge fan of honesty. And quite honestly (ok, repetition on the go here!), I have noticed people in my surrounding adapting to my feature. They say people that care about you mirror your way of acting – of being, almost, that is. Meaning that if you are honest to your surrounding people, chances are they will be as honest towards you.

With all honesty, however, come boundaries we should not forget. If you’re best friend asks how she looks in that new dress of hers – and let’s pretend she looks rather like a sausage – tell her. Now, that does not mean one should be rude, but one can honestly say that it is not the best fit, or that a different dress is so much better looking. Know your boundaries, it’s so important! On the other hand, if you aren’t feeling it anymore with your significant other: be honest. Don’t make a fuss about it, but be honest about your feelings and why things have changed. Again, this does not mean one has to be rude about doing it.

This brings me to honesty in relationships. With relationships I don’t only mean your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or loved one. I mean family relationships, I mean work relationships, friendly relationships and even the relationship you have with your neighbor. Most importantly, look at the relationship you have with yourself. Honesty towards oneself is one of the most important characteristics one should have. If you are unhappy with certain outcomes or lifestyle habits then think about why you are in that situation and, honestly, why you are not where you wish you were. I am fully convinced that honesty towards oneself is a key to personal success. With personal success comes joy in life. Voila, we have the perfect formula. Alright, perhaps not all that simple, but you understand what I am getting at. Everyone is one’s own builder of success and having the best relationships with those around us. Nurture your environment and you shall be rewarded accordingly.

Now, let’s zen for a moment and be honest towards ourselves. xo

01Jul 2017

Let’s talk about cheating

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Seriously – what is up with our generation and cheating? Or is it just me noticing it more and more these days? This topic has been getting at me so often these past weeks it scares me. So I thought why not discuss and ask for your opinions. Where does it start? What do you do when you’re being cheated on? Why does one even cheat?

First things first: I want to share a somewhat, to me, shocking story about what a guy has shared with me a while ago. I will not be calling out names here – no worries. So this young man is married, has a child, is pretty intelligent and not so bad looking. I met him a couple of years ago at an event and always got along with him amazingly. Still do. Still really like him – but it just puts certain thoughts in a different perspective. Without going into any details, he made it pretty clear that him and his wife are in an “open relationship”. Now here it starts for me already: how can you be living with your significant other, have a family together, and be in an open relationship and “not care” if one of you swings around? I still wonder whether that was just a catchy phrase, a straight out lie in my face or whether the woman actually has no idea. Repeating myself, I am still cool with the guy – but damn that is just so unsexy to me I can’t even.

Now where does cheating even begin? I’ve had endless conversations with my girlfriends and some guys about this. You know the typical situation when a guy and girl are getting to know each other, it gets pretty serious (meaning really seeing each other regularly and both giving the feeling that there is something serious in the making), and then out of nowhere my girlfriend tells me she heard from someone in the circle that this guy has been making out with some other chick on a night out. Do you consider that cheating? I’ve heard rather often that it puts you in basically pretty shit situation because obviously you’re not official yet and so you can’t really say anything to him or officially be mad at him. My opinion? Bullshit. If a guy decides to date me, get to know me, start “seeing me” (name it whatever you want) – even in that phase I would consider making-out with someone cheating on me already. It’s simple. You cheat, I leave.

What would I do? If I hear about it, I will ask you. Communication is key – in every relationship there is. Now, if you feel that he has cheated and you don’t ask him, then don’t complain about your trust issues. The only one that is really not doing anything against it and allowing it, is you. You need to set the boundaries just like guys set their boundaries. If you allow it and let it go through, be sure it was not the last time. Now, if you decide that this is okay for you – cool. Be you. Do you. Just don’t complain afterwards if it isn’t working the way you had wished for initially. Same thing goes for you if you are cheating. Man up. Woman, grow up. You need to communicate that you have an issue with the current situation or that you are just not looking for a relationship (or that the relationship just isn’t working anymore). It just isn’t fair and you surely would not want to be in the same shoe. If you decide to cheat, I truthfully believe you are not looking for, or ready for, a serious relationship. At least be honest with your partner – it’s the least you can do.

Then I wonder why people even start to cheat? This is another debatable topic. Some say they can’t do anything against it. It’s a drive. An animalistic drive. Other’s think it’s an age thing. My opinion? Again: bullshit. I honestly believe that one is just not mature, not ready for commitment. But why then even get into one? Is it the Sunday-Blues? The typical “oh I was busy the whole week, partying up on Friday and Saturday and then Sunday I felt lonely so I called up that chick and asked her on a date”? I remember Lauryn and Michael (from theskinnyconfidential.com) talking about it on one of their podcasts last year and giving exactly this example (though I can’t remember the exact wording) and them likewise arguing that this is total BS. Like Lauryn said, and I swear ever since I fully agree, never ever say yes to a guy asking you out on a Sunday if he hasn’t been speaking to you in a while before (and definitely not if it’s your ex!).

Now, what are your thoughts on this? I’d be interested so just leave me a comment down below on this post, comment on one my last photo on Instagram (laurananette) or even snapchat (laura.nanette) me directly. Would LOVE to hear your voice and even share opinions in a potential follow-up post if wished for. xo