Outdoor activities are a happiness booster

Weather circumstances force Dutch people to be indoorsy most of the year. Personally I am an all season girl, but weather complains are not unfamiliar to a lot of us. I do not blame people for complaining. For at least 6 months out of every year our beautiful country looks like a grey painting, where the painter forgot to add a little bit of color. By the time spring arrives, we literally go all out. There is no stopping us. Spring flowers, fresh air, blue skies and a sun that is finally smiling upon us, is a happiness cocktail I get addicted to every year. The taste is so good it keeps me craving for more. On top of that, the cocktail is served with so many outside activities I sometimes need a reminder I have a home. Since happiness is contagious and to give you some ideas I made a list of all the fun outdoor activities that are a must do this summer.

1. Festivals

2. Every type of food event



3. Outdoor/ rooftop movie nights



4. Floating parties



5. Sunset picnics



6. Beach days



7. Nothing beats a bike ride

8. Jump in every pool you can find

9. Roadtrip!

10. Go cultural

Making memories

"The mind replays what the heart can't delete." - unknown

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say summer? Beaches, sun, parties, flip flops? The first thing I think of is crickets. I just love to hear them chirp. Do crickets chirp? They might, but that's not the point. My point is that ever since I was a child I have had a wonderful association with the sound of crickets. During summer vacations I would always walk back to our vacation house after a day of fun and I would hear the sound of crickets. So if I hear crickets today, I smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside. It brings back so many memories. 

Sounds and smells are powerful memory triggers. We all have them. It can be a song making us remember how we danced the night away or the smell of burning wood reminding us of summer campfires and so on. These pleasant memories are intensified by our senses.
Our busy schedules often push us to live our lives in haste. We multitask even when we are relaxing, unconsciously blocking our other senses. At a concert we are taking pictures instead of really enjoying the music. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for taking pictures, but don't let that be your only reminder of that moment. Listen, feel and really live in the moment, otherwise life will pass you by in a blur and you lose the opportunity to really enjoy it.

My summer challenge for you is to fully live happily in the now and reactivate all your senses to create new blissful memories. You can do that by following these simple stepz:

- Let's start with a little reminiscing. Reconnect with the happy memories you have when you think of summer. Is it collecting seashells at the beach, bubble gum wrappers or eating ice cream? What song makes you jump up en down of joy when you hear it?  What perfume reminds you of your summer love? If these memories give you the nostalgic and joyous feelings we are aiming for it's time to move on to the next step.

- Let go of your plans for a while and let life surprise you. An unexpected moment of joy is just around the corner if you let it happen. Don't compromise on happiness because you are too busy.

 - Simply take the time to enjoy the moments you have this summer. Let all other thoughts go and take pictures but don't spend all your time behind the camera or on your phone. Take all the goodness in life in and really feel the moment with all your senses.

Now go and make new memories that will last you a lifetime.


With love, Ana

The joy of painting

“Now then, today let’s just have some fun and enjoy it, let our imagination take us to some beautiful places and see what happens.” – Bob Ross

Last Sunday we took an empty canvas and had a little fun in creating a happy place just like Bob Ross did. Never heard of Bob Ross? Bob had a show called "The joy of painting" and it was really a joy to see him paint a beautiful landscape in just 30 minutes with a few strokes of his paintbrush. When I mention Bob Ross to people, the response is overwhelmingly positive. I think because of Bobs contagious enthusiasm. Yes happiness frontiers, enthusiasm is contagious. This is a bug you don't mind catching. It wasn't just his skills that made him so beloved. It was the way he inspired people through painting. His positive mindset and his encouragement make us believe we can create anything we want.

Painting like Bob isn’t as hard as it may look. It is all about having fun and letting go of everything else. Bob said: “There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.”  So pick up a paintbrush, watch an episode of "The joy of painting" and start creating happiness. The canvas is blank for you to create whatever your happy heart can imagine. To maximize the fun dress for the occasion. Imagine yourself painting on a patio overlooking a field of daisies somewhere in France. Quiet your mind by letting go of all thoughts and let your inner artist run free. Don’t forget to add a little tree friend to your painting because everyone needs a little friend.

With love, Ana

Bohemian joy: ten stepz to increase your spring happiness

Spring is a happy time. Nature is in full bloom, the sun is out and even the raindrops create beautiful rainbows. It is the season of new beginnings and rebalance. Soak up vitamin D on those first sunshinny days and make sure you are fully reloaded for a beautiful and adventures summer.

A healthy mind and body is important to keep you happily skipping along your journey.  Here are our top ten must do's this spring to get you into that perfect BoJoy spirit. What is BoJoy you ask? Well, if bohemian is this years look and joy is what we live for than we declare bohemian joy to be this years happiness statement.

So without further ado here is our top ten;

1 Nourishing your mind by taking a well deserved break at a cozy coffee place is just what the doctor ordered. Find a place where you feel at home and relax. If you love cats, like to follow the latest trends, and want to cuddle while eating delicious cake you might want to visit one of the cat cafes that are popping up in a lot of major cities around the world.

2 Get out of the house and enjoy a spring walk along the beach or the park. Take your time walking and be one with your surroundings. Listen to the soothing sounds of nature. Be at peace, simply by appreciating all the beauty around you.

3 For a healthy body make sure you eat right. Start your mornings with a healthy smoothy or a bowl of yoghurt full of vitamins. To make eating healthy a little more fun, try to grow your own fruits and vegs. Urban gardening is IT at the moment. You do not even need to have a big garden or amazing skills to grow strawberries or tomatoes. You can buy these type of plants already partly grown. The only thing you have to do is give it some TLC and water.

4 Make plans to go on a trip with your friends or loved ones during the summer. Spend the entire weeks prior having fun just thinking about it and planning every detail of your trip. Choose the perfect vacay playlist, coordinate your outfits with your friends, so you can take the perfect selfies. You will get tons of happy energy from all the pre-fun.

5 Pimp up your ride. This year go all out and get your car or your bike some accessories. This will not only make your ride look great but it will also give you much joy every time you look at your happy hippy ride. Smiling like crazy guaranteed.

6 Make sure you soak up plenty of vitamin D. If the sun is out than so should you. Vitamine D has many benefits. It improves your immune system, makes your bones and teeth strong. Deficiency can cause depression and low energy, so keep your mind healthy and soak up those vitamins.

7 Yoga, meditation or Tai Chi is a good way to keep your mind and body in balance. Not for you? Try hula hooping and check off that list. Bringing back those happy childhood memories. Check. Getting into shape. Check. Laughing like crazy. Check.

8 The festival season officially started. Make sure you have the perfect festival outfit, temporary tattoos and accessories to make your bohemian look complete. Festivals are great mood boosters. The atmosphere is very relaxing, fun and definitely BoJoy.

9 A perfect summer is filled with long summer nights having fun with family and friends. Telling stories, dancing to music and eating good food. Pick out a spot in your garden or terrace and create the perfect BBQ/hangout place for those summer nights. Decorate it with lounge pillows, flowers, candles and whatever makes you happy.

10 For romantic summer nights redecorate your bedroom. Fill it with roses, seashells and soothing nature sounds. Create a peaceful space where you feel relaxed. A place where you can read a book, enjoy romantic evenings with a loved one or simple fall peacefully into sleep. Most people have a tv or a laptop in the bedroom nowadays. Turn it off and turn the tranquility on.

Hope these tips will get you into the bohemian joy spirit and ready for a perfect summer.

With love, Ana