Motivational Monday

There will always be people who tell you that you cannot do it, that you are not good enough, not as talented as others or simply doing it wrong. Do not listen to them, you are great the way you are! Sure, some people may give you advice and if you have the impression that they support you in a nice way and give you constructive feedback, listen to their point and talk to them. However, if you realize that they want to see you fail, that they do not support you at all and only drag you down - distance yourself from them. You do not need this kind of negativity in your life. Removing those people from your life will make room for those who truly belive in you, encourage you and get through everything together with you,  no matter how hard it will be. Hard times always reveal true friends. Always believe in yourself and in your dreams. Just give it a try. 

instagram.com/motivationfromheart

Everybody has a time when they do not feel good, when they do not know how to move on. With the right people in your life it will all work out in the end. Losing someone who made you feel so special and happy always hurts, but it can also lead you to something better. If they only make you feel bad about yourself or not appreciated enough - the right people will come into your life and stay!

xoxo

Oatmeal in Minutes

Sometimes, when you wake up in the morning, you simply want to make yourself breakfast very quickly without having to wait an eternity until you finally get something inside your stomach. As the days get colder and colder, having something warm for breakfast looks even nicer. Making oatmeal the traditional way means cooking for about 10 minutes and having to be there due to stirring it. However, I came up with an idea to make yourself a huge bowl of oatmeal within minutes. 

#1

Put some oats inside a bowl. There comes 1 cup of water on 1/2 cup of oats. But you can easily just boil more water in order to make the consistency the way you like it best, the measures are only a guideline.

#2

After the water is as hot as you want it to be, simply put it over the oats and stir. It is important to have them completely covered with water due to the fact that they will increase in size. 

#3

Leave it for a while during the time you spend getting your toppings ready. Personally, I like my oatmeal best with berries  (especially strawberries and raspberries) or with apples. To sweeten it you can use honey, maple syrup or sugar and cinnamon. A smashed banana stirred under it also tastes very nice and sweet.

#4

Put everything together and enjoy your breakfast which gives you a lot of energy for the day.

Have a great day and weekend!

xoxo

Picture Sources: https://celiac.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/oats.jpg; 

Music Suggestions

Due to the fact that the cold weather is coming and fall is just about to begin, I want to share some music with you which fits perfectly to this time of the year. They create a special atmosphere, some a cozy one, others a dark and mystical one.

• "Holding On And Letting Go" by Ross Copperman
• "A Drop In The Ocean" by Ron Pope
• "Back For Good" by Take That
• "She's The One" by Robbie Williams
• "Who Says" by John Mayer
• "Another Love" by Tom Odell
• "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran
• "Read All About It" by Emeli Sandé 
• "Catch & Release" by Matt Simons 
• "The Mountain" by Ross Copperman
• "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran 
• "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran
• "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith
• "Who I Wanna Be" (Rykkinnfella Remix) by Suite 16
• "Calm After The Storm" by The Common Linnets
• Who Am I To Stand In Your Way by Chester See

Have a nice day!

Current Favorites (Fall 2016)

Hello my dears, how are you?

Fall is just around the corner. Therefore, I have decided to show you some of my favorites regarding this season. The season of coziness. Speding a whole day cuddled up, reading books or watching series or a movie.

#1 Favorite Tea

The season of fall = the season of tea. My favorite is roiboos, especially with vanilla. In addition, I also enjoy a cup of apple tea (recommendations are Turkish apple, it contains fig, as well as apple tea with a hint of vanilla). Some companies also sell specials regarding winter, some of those flavors are cinnamon, marzipan, orange or almond biscuit (Spekulatius in German). Do not be afraid to try something new, go for whatever suits you best!

#2 Series
One of my absolute all time favorites is "The Vampire Diaries". It is not only a great one, no, it also fits perfectly to the darker side of fall, the mystic side as it is in Halloween. Another one I stumbled across recently is "Desperate Housewives" -  such a great mixture of drama and comedy. It is very catching and interesting and, just as TVD, a continuing series, so all the episodes create one whole story.

#3 Calendar
As one year is coming to an end. another one is just about to begin. I do not know what about you, but, personally, I like to write down all of my dates on paper. Some are saved electronically as well on my tablet or cellphone, but I am a huge fan of writing it down and having it in a real book. Later, when you take an old calendar in your hands and get through it, all the memories come back; and it is way more personal than only some text passages on your electronic device.
Until this time, I always had a calendar in which every day has its own page. It is very useful if you have lots of things to do or if you like to write down quotes or other inspiring quotes. However, on the other hand, these ones are actually very heavy. Therefore, I have decided to try something new: After thinking about it for a while and having a look at several options, I chose a Moleskine in the "Weekly Notebook Diary" edition. If you take a look inside, you will see this structure: On the left side, there are all the days of the week listed below each other; whereas on the right side there is space for all of your notes or to do lists or whatever you like to keep there. As far as I am already using it, I am very content. Whenever I want to write something down that I need more space for, for example quotes or inspiring texts, I use a separate notebook and this works very well for me.

#4 Books
I have always loved literature and reading. From my point of view, there is nothing better than cuddling up reading your favorite novel when it is cold and grey outside. Here are some recommendations: For entertainment, I enjoy reading Jojo Moyes' novels. Some I like a lot are "The Girl You Left Behind", "The Ship of Brides" as well as "Me Before You". (Recensions on two of them can be found here and here ).
What I also enjoy is reading books about philosophy. It is such an interesting and inspiring topic! Besides, I also like Shakespeare. The language is absolutely beautiful. In some app stores, you can download some of his play for free (e.g. "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet" or "Othello"). So just give it a try, it will be worth it!

What are your current favorites? 

Jojo Moyes: The Ship of Brides

Recension: "The Ship of Brides" by Jojo Moyes

Cover

Title: The Ship of Brides

Author: Moyes, Jojo

Publication: 2008

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks

"The only people who still have all the answers are those who have never been faced with the questions.” 






Cover Text:

"Australia, 1946. 650 brides are departing for England to meet the men they married in wartime. But instead of the luxury liner they were expecting, they find themselves aboard an aircraft carrier, alongside a thousand men.

On the sun-baked decks, old loves and past promises become distant memories, and tensions are stretched to the limit as brides and husbands change their minds. And for Frances Mackenzie, one bride in particular, it soon becomes clear that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination."

The novel tells the journey of four Australian women crossing the ocean in order to get to their American husbands. Each one a different character, they face problems, but also learn to stick together and to get along with difficult situations. They have to adjust themselves with the uncomfortable ship, with living together at very tiny space and much more. 

Frances wants nothing more than to escape her past. However, one day she cannot hide it anymore, the secret she carried with her thorughout the whole journey. Will it destroy everything she fought for? Margaret cannot wait to be together with her husband, but also misses her family back home. Having a deep heart, she always tries to solve the occuring conflicts and takes care of everybody. Avice, coming from a rich family, struggles to adjust herself to the new circumstances on board. Having her own prospect on how things should be, she often gets into conflicts with the other brides, especially with Jean. Jean, the youngest of the four brides the story is focused on, is kind of simple-hearted and, therefore, does not seem to be as sophisticated as Avice, for example, which leads to a stressed relationship between the two young woman.

The novel has autobiographical traits due to the fact that the author's grandma was one of the original brides who went on the long journey hoping for a better life. Her grandmother's journey is the basis for the fictional story. Moyes has written a wonderful book full of emotions that makes you feel like you are on board with the brides. Each chapter focusing on a different character perspective makes it very lively, touching and you definitley get into a relation with the characters and understand their hopes and fears. You feel with the brides and while reading you get the impression of the limitedness and the impact it has on the woman who have no minute for being on their own. A great story with realistic characters, interesting and stunning developments that makes you feel like you travelled back in time to the 1940s. I really enjoyed reading it and I am looking forward to reading the next books written by Jojo Moyes.

What is your favorite novel by Jojo Moyes?

A blogpost on Moyes' novel "Me Before You" can be found on my blog as well.


♥ xoxo



sources: http://www.jojomoyes.com/books/the-ship-of-brides

Life Is What Happens To You While You're Busy Making Other Plans / A Jar of Good Memories

Hallo meine Lieben! Ein Post auf deutsch? - Ja, ihr habt richtig gesehen. Ich habe mich dazu entschieden, auch auf deutsch zu schreiben, da sich so manche Dinge viel besser sagen lassen und mir so das Schreiben auch viel leichter von der Hand geht. Nichtsdestotrotz werde ich den gleichen Post auch noch auf englisch schreiben.

Das neue Jahr ist gerade einmal eine Woche alt, da macht man sich schon Gedanken, wie es denn so verlaufen soll. Was man sich erhofft, wünscht, geplant hat... Meiner Meinung nach sollte man das nicht alles so verbissen angehen, sondern manchmal auch nur schauen, wie sich alles entwickelt. Dazu gibt es ein schönes Zitat aus einem Song: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Das beschreibt es doch ganz gut - Leben ist, was uns so passiert, während wir geschäftig durch die Welt eilen.

Ein altes Jahr ist vergangen. An manches erinnert man sich vielleicht weniger gern zurück, doch jedes Jahr beinhaltet auch seine schönen Momente. Um diese nicht zu vergessen, kann man sie aufschreiben. Es gibt eine nette kleine Idee dazu: A jar of good memories. Schreibe einen tollen Moment, an den du dich erinnern willst auf einen Zettel, falte diesen und bewahre in auf. Das kann in einem Glas sein, einer Dose... Deiner Kreativität sind keine Grenzen gesetzt. Mit jedem schönen Moment wächst auch deine kleine Sammlung an Zettelchen. An Silvester öffnest du dein Glas der guten Momente und erinnerst dich wieder an sie.

Welche Ideen habt ihr, um tolle Momente unvergesslich zu machen?

♥ xoxo

------------------------------------------------

Hello my dears! A blogpost in German? - Yes, you are right. I have decided to post in German as well, because it is easier. Nevertheless, I will write in English too.

2014 has started only a week ago - and you already ask yourself how the new year should or will turn out. From my point of view, you should not plan too much. Let life go its way - that is what life is about. There is a nice song-quote regarding this topic: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." It describes the meaning of life very well.

An old year is over. Some moments were not as good as others, but what about capturing the good times. There is a nice idea: A jar of good memories. Write down a great and special moment you do not want to forget on a piece of paper, fold it and keep it in a jar, a box, wherever you want. With every passing wonderful moment your amount of papers grow. On New Year's Eve you open your jar - and remember the great memories.

What are your ideas to make great moments unforgettable?

♥ xoxo

Advent Calendar - December 1

How are you my dears?

It's December 1st - only 23 days left until Christmas. Do you already know what your wishes are? 

I have decided to make kind of an Advent Calendar here on my blog. Everday there is going to be a Christmas-themed post. Some shorter, some longer, quotes or pictures - be surprised! ;)

Christmas Time

♥ Cuddling
♥ Snow
♥ Lights
♥ People get nicer
♥ Nature looks enchanted
♥ Food 
♥ Spending time with family and friends
♥ Thinking about presents for each other

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

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If you have not noticed it yet: My blog has a new name and therefore also a new address:

makeyour-change.blogspot.com. Personally, one of my goals is to inspire people, make them happy, give them hope. Also, a lot of my posts are about life and its ways of being. The new name just fits much better to my contents ;) 

I wish you all a wonderful day, week, month, year, life. Enjoy every moment, because that is the way life is!

♥ xoxo

quote found at: http://www.quotegarden.com/christmas.html

Christmas Time - Sharing Time

How are you, my dears? 

In only 5 weeks there will be Christmas. Just a bit more than a month... Very soon. In the shops there are already Advent calendars, chocolate santas, Christmas decoration such as Christmas trees, stars etc. Soon, these special songs will be played everywhere and there are also markets. - Christmas is near!

Do you (already) have presents for the people you love? Or, do you know what you want for Christmas? 

Christmas time also means caring for each other; everyone is nicer during that time - just a small thing a day can turn a normal day into a great one. And everyone is able to make a difference! You can be nicer to the people you love, support them, do things for them. You can also help people in need, for example by donating. Not everyone has a life as great as yours - keep that in mind. 

However, remember: It does not need Christmas time to be a great and caring person - be that way everyday of the year! 

Be the best version of yourself and make the world a better place. ♥

So, what are your wishes for Christmas? Do you behave special during this time of the year? 

♥ xoxo

The Vampire Diaries

"The Vampire Diaries"

Recently, I became totally obsessed with "The Vampire Diaries"; although I think most of you already know it or, at least, have read about it, I wanted to give some short information about it.

Country of Origin: USA

Channel (original): The CW

Seasons: 5

Episodes: 22 each season

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance

Based on: "The Vampire Diaries" by L.J. Smith

Starring: 

Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert), Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore), Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore), Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert), Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes), Kat Graham (Bonnie Bennett), Zach Roerig (Matt Donovan), Sara Canning (Jenna Sommers) and much more

Storyline:

After her parents died in a car accident, Elena and Jeremy Gilbert live with their aunt Jenna in Mystic Falls, a small town. Elena meets Stefan Salvatore and they fall in love deeply. But he has a secret: He and his brother Damon are vampires and not the only ones... Damon also has feelings towards Elena, mainly because she and the two brothers' love Katherine look alike. Bonnie, Elena's best friend, discovers her magical powers and, as a witch, plays an important role in the whole plot. A dangerous, mystical and deep love story begins...

Damon, Elena and Stefan

Personally, I like this tv serie a lot. The plot is catching and the actors are great, which makes you identify a lot with their feelings. The relationship between the characters is intensive and very emotional. However, when you watch it, you always want to continue and find out what happens next and considering that there are 5 seasons now, you are not the only one feeling that way. ;) The Salvatore brothers seem to be very different at first sight: Stefan is nice, sweet and protective and always wants the best for everyone and thinks about people's feelings. Damon, however, is impulsive, also protective, kind of a bad boy, but inside, he and Stefan are very emotional and caring for the people they love. (and both are very handsome ;))

A great show, wonderful, emotional with great actors and an interesting and catching storyline.

"You can't sit and wait for life to come. You have to go get it." - Damon Salvatore

So, what do you think about it? What other series do you like? 

♥ xoxo

sources: first pic: http://cdn.cardboardstandups.com/images/logos/vampirediaries.jpg;

second pic: http://www.bubblews.com/assets/images/news/1539180841_1370114370.jpg

information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Diaries; http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries/about