Todella hienoa, jos uskalletaan sanoa oma mielipiteemme. Hyvä kirjoitus aiheuttaa keskustelua, niin puolesta, kuin vastaan. Toisen mielipidettä ja näkökulmaa on hyvä opetella ymmärtämään, vaikka itse olisikin eri mieltä asiasta. Kiitos Virpi, kirjoitit hauskan ja hienon tekstin.   

Jokainen meistä, niin aiheesta kirjoittavat kuin - lukijatkin, niin himourheilijat kuin vähemmän urheilua himoitsevatkin ovat aivan yhtä hyväksyttyjä. Emme ole huonompia ihmisiä, jos emme omista personal traineria tai salikorttia.

Kaikkeen ei todellakaan tarvitse tai pidäkkään lähteä mukaan, ellei niin itse halua. Vinkkejä ja inspiraatiota voi silti hakea omaan tekemiseensä ja muokata niistä itselle sopiva paketti. Omasta terveydestään toki tinkimättä. Tämä tekeminen ulottuu muihinkin elämänalueisiin, kuin vain urheiluun ja liikkumiseen. 

Omalla kohdallani voin sanoa, että on hurjan palkitsevaa ylittää itsensä. Urheilusuoritukset muistuttavat siitä, että ihminen pystyy uskomattomiin asioihin. Mieli, pystyy uskomattomiin asioihin. Näin 24-vuotiaana haluan nähdä mihin pystyn, monessakin asiassa, mutta myös saavuttamaan huippukunnon. Itseni takia.

Elämme yksilökeskeisessä kulttuurissa. Tämmöinen omaa ja muiden hyvää oloa ja terveyttä edistävä joukkohurahtaminen on siis ilmeisesti jossain määrin paheksuttu asia. Jos ihminen on tyytyväinen omaan elämäänsä, se ei koe tarvetta latistaa muita. Mielestäni tämä maailma kaipaa lisää yhteisöllisyyttä, toisten tsemppaamista, toisten puolesta iloitsemista. Sekin täytyy hyväksyä, että kaikista ei siihen ole ja täytyy yrittää nähdä se rikkautena. Annetaan jokaisen tehdä omat, itselleen parhaaksi kokemat valinnat.

Syy, jonka takia en esimerkiksi halua miettiä sen tarkemmin mitä syön, on koska itselleni riittää, että tiedän tasan tarkkaan syöväni terveellisesti ja sen vuoksi kropassani on hyvä olo. Jos alkaisin noudattaa jotakin dieettiä ja suunnitella jokaisen aterian etukäteen, kyllästyisin siihen hyvin nopeasti. Ruoka on hyvää ja sillon syödään, kun on nälkä. Jos välillä tekee mieli pullaa, niin hitto vie, sitten syödään pullaa ja ollaan ylpeitä siitä. Kohtuus kuitenkin kaikessa, ei tarvitse koko pitkoa vetää naamariin siltä seisomalta.

Koko elämäni eri lajeja harrastaneena voin sanoa, että omalla kohdallani liikunnallisuus on erittäin pysyvää - vaikka siitä kirjoittaminen jäisi vähemmälle, silti sen harrastaminen ei tule koskaan katoamaan. Eikä myöskään toisten tsemppaaminen. Kirjoitan aiheista, joista voisin itsenikin kuvitella lukijana kiinnostuvan.

Kaikille liikuntaan ns. hurahtaneille haluan antaa yhden neuvon: kun päätätte muuttaa joitakin elämäntapojanne, tehkää se niin, että vaikutus on pitkäaikainen ja pysyvä. Kokeilemalla uusia juttuja se usein selviää ja pikkuhiljaa löytää ne itselle sopivat vaihtoehdot.

Jokainen varmasti nauttii liikunnasta jossain muodossa, sillä ihminen on luotu aktiiviseksi. Löydä se oma, sinulle sopiva laji, nauti sen parissa. Hyötyliikuntakin lasketaan! Kunhan sinulla on hyvä olla, niin henkisesti kuin fyysisestikin, on kaikki hyvin. Pähkinöiden syönnillä ei ole mitään merkitystä, jos peruspalikat ovat kunnossa.

kuva: Nike

 

 As much as I hate running and jogging, I have decided to change my attitude towards it and give it a shot. There's a saying that goes like this: "Once your head decides to get off the chair, your butt will follow". It's true. You just have to set your mind to it. I challenge you all!

I had planned to start running already on Sunday but unfortunately caught a terrible flu so I had to postpone it. My friend Amanda is such a trooper! She's aiming to run 10K in a few weeks and has progressed with great determination. So admirable! She recommended a free version of an app called RunKeeper. You'll start off by determining your goal, you can select anything between 5K and a marathon. Then you choose a starting date and it will give instructions on what to do each day. RunKeeper also has categories for other forms of exercise ranging from snowboarding to rowing and swimming to the elliptical. It even has a category for a wheelchair. If you're interested and want to find out more, click here to get to their website.  

photos: appadvice.com and joggen-online.de

Every now and then I check out H&M's kids department to see what cool things they have to offer. I got lucky with these fresh colored sports shorts! The quick dry material feels soft and what a perfect combination of colors! Nice and fresh for the summer especially with a tan skin! The blue looks more like a minty shade in person. Can't wait to take these out for a run!

photo by: Nike

Have you decided to make some changes in your life regarding your health and your body? Whether you're after a more toned body, want to loose some weight or strive for a more energetic mind, setting goals is the first step. Write them down on a piece of paper and stick it on your fridge door. You'll be able to see them every day and it will help you to stay focused and remind yourself what you're striving for. Another thing that has helped me on my journey has been an inspiration/motivation photo. It can be a cut-out from a magazine or even a photo of you back in the days - anything that you want to achieve. Now, be realistic! Pick a photo of a body that's achievable, one that's your height. 

Once you've set your goals take out your calendar. Make it official! Plan your workout days and write them down. Improvise! Anything is better than nothing! Even a 30 minute, fast pace walk counts so skip the public transportation and leave your car home. Walking to work is a great way to start off the day, you'll get your daily dose of fresh air and increase blood circulation. 

Do you have kids? Anyone who has kids of their own or spends a lot of time with them knows that they can be very active! Why not take them swimming, ice skating, sledding, skiing? They'll most likely be very excited. I took my younger siblings, ages 12 and 9, swimming and they both asked immediately after: "Can we do this again next week?!" - how can you say no to that?! 

It's not always easy to think what's best for yourself. Fun is addictive and making someone else happy is a great motivator. Volunteer to take a friend's/neighbour's dog out for a long walk, animals have a very strong influence on your mood. When they're excited and happy, you most likely will be too. You'll be doing yourself, the owner and the dog all a favour. 

Try not to stare at the scale or in the mirror - rather focus on how you feel. If it helps you, you can even write "Under Construction" on your mirror to remind yourself. Keep going, results will start showing!

photo: networkpanda

photo by: BitOfBlueSky

 Design hotel Klaus K has transformed it's two areas, restaurant Ilmatar and  the most of former nightclub Ahjo, into one holistic space called The Livingroom (nightclub Ahjo still exists, it's just significantly smaller and is located behind the curtains, in the back). Due to the renovation most of the interior decor of the area was demolished and replaced. While I was walking around photographing the construction site to document the process a certain cushion-like covered pilar caught my eye. I asked hotel manager Marc Skvorc if the panels of the cover would be removed and thrown away - he said "yes". I thought it was such a shame! Too often materials are thrown away instead of reusing them. I told Marc I could make it into a headboard for my bed and asked if I could have it. I didn't want it to take too much time or effort from the construction workers that were already on a tight schedule. Marc promised to look into it, whether or not it could be removed without it getting torn. 
 A few months later, last Friday, I was excited to carry the piece into a taxi van and finally take it home. I have now adopted a piece of a pilar from a former nightclub - how cool is that?! A pretty pieceful retirement home for this lucky pilar panel turned headboard after 8 years of partying!

 This piece has cost me 15€ so far (transportation by taxi) - not bad! It still needs to be lifted off the floor and properly attached to the wall.  

 Hopefully other hotels and public spaces will follow the lead! 

 

A photo by Klaus K of former Ahjo. You can spot the pilar behind the bar counter. 

They're here! My very own set of steel punches! I've only tried them on leather so far but they can also be used for wood, plastic and metal. What a great way to personalize your belongings. Or your friend's! I thought I might engrave something on my dog's collar and a few leather strap bracelets next. 

I didn't want to invest a significant amount of money on these so I went for the cheapest ones. They work just fine! I'm sure these will last a lifetime. They're made of hardened chrome vanadium steel and they have a corrosion-resistant oxide finish to keep them in good shape. 

Hi readers! 
I'll have to start off by apologizing. January has been hectic! There are so many things going on at the moment for me. I haven't had much spare time for my blog.

I experinced a nasty back injury roughly a week before Christmas that forced me to put all exercising on hold - even walking, sitting and standing were painful. I broke my tailbone when I was younger but that felt like nothing compared to this. 

Before the injury I had been attending dance class twice a week. It still continues to amaze me how effective it is for the core especially! Now that it's been six weeks from my last class, I can tell the difference in flexibility. I had also been going on long power walks twice a week for an hour at a time and switching from public transportation to my own two feet. The distances weren't significant but the uplifting effect it had on the mood was amazing. I recommend you to try it! Now, it's time to get back on track.

Sportstracker, the app, has been a great motivator for me. It ables you to monitor your workout whether it's biking, running or walking. It might cause you to want to push your workout to the next level - and feel even better afterwards! Also The Workout Trainer by Skimble has brought a nice addition! It has numerous different workouts, all categorized for you whether it's cardio, weight loss, running, cross fit, full body, core, arms, butt & legs, yoga, stretching, weight lifting, walking, biking or even rock climbing you want to do! I was like a kid in a candy shop at first, I wanted to try as many as possible! Plan your week's workouts beforehand, mark them into your calendar with The Workout Trainer and stick to that! Go for a 30 minute power walk or jog and continue with a workout of your choise. It's a great alternative for morning coffee, for sure! There are also different fitness tests you can take. The free versions of both of these two apps will do just fine.

Get inspired! Set goals for yourself. What do you want to achieve? Stay focused by motivating yourself! Challenge a friend! Always do a little more than last time, it doesn't have to be much, run one extra block, do two extra push-ups. Keep it interesting! Finish each workout on a positive note. Remember to stretch!
 
 

 

 Never underestimate the power of bright colored sports gear! I have something in store for you guys later this spring with Stefanie from www.steffit.com! Stay tuned and check her blog for some tips from a professional regarding exercise, nutrition and more. She has some great inspiration pictures too!

15 ml of Sweet Vanity in a Bottle

Glitter nailpolish is back! At first I strongly thought it was just for little girls, I remember very vividly some hideous ones from my childhood: big chunks of heart shaped glitter that left the surface of the nail clumpy, rough and uneven - not a pretty sight. Then, I found some classy ones by Deborah Lippmann and became a fan.

Although I favour natural beauty and most of all, inner beauty, I don't believe in things like fake eye lashes, hair extensions etc., nail polish is my weak spot. It can have a moodlifting effect! I hate to admit but the moment I opened the package, I was hypnotized - yes - by this tiny bottle. Just like deep underwater, tiny fish stare at bigger, bioluminescent fish. 

 

Ray Of Light by Deborah Lippmann is a blueish purple shade with thin, hologrammic glitter that reflects tones of green and orange. It dries surprisingly fast and is long lasting. For best results apply two layers of clear base coat, two layers of Ray Of Light nailpolish and 1-2 layers of clear top coat. 

Before buying yours make sure to compare prices, they vary anywhere from 14 € to 30 €. If you live in Finland like I do, you'll have to order online. I bought mine from Amazon.com. While comparing prices I noticed that Love It has a good range of Deborah Lippmann products in a decent price, they also provide free shipping at the moment!

As an animal lover it gave me great pleasure to notice that Deborah Lippmann cosmetics doesn't use animal testing with their products! 

Other spectacular shades below by Deborah Lippmann include: Cleopatra in New York, Candy Shop, Let's Go Crazy and Across the Universe.

Bottom four photos by Deborah Lippmann

It's not typical or obvious, it doesn't spell out: "Best Friends". It's not a puzzle and it doesn't even form a heart shape. 

 Yet, it makes a perfect friendship bracelet.  

Bracelets by Thomas Sabo

I introduced a technique on how to transform a t-shirt into a ball of thread earlier in my blog. Find instructions and read the post HERE. I also promised to share an idea on how to put that thread into use. 

 

I decided to crochet a huge rug which measures 2 m x 2,2 m. Since I was impatient and wanted to utilize all the material I could get my hands on, I mixed all kinds of colors together to create a bright, happy colored rug which I think, gives it some character! Adding white thread here and there makes it look fresh and black thread gives it some depth.

If you want to avoid getting knots in your rug, you can either sew the thread together or buy packs of different colored jersey from your local fabric store. Don't invest in expensive kinds, you can find real bargains on sale since each piece doesn't have to be that big! If you're in Helsinki I suggest you check out what Eurokangas stores have to offer, they usually have hideous colored jersey in their sale department, which is a good thing! Remember, with this DIY project you're allowed to go over the top!