Instagram update

In a completely random order:
1. Birthday cake - 2. My dog, Smuth, playing royal - 3. A little cheeky 'souvenir' from Jamie's Italian in Canary Wharf
4. Sneak Saturday - 5. Mirror mirror, on the wall... - 6. Girls night with old friends
7. Goofy aka Smuth - 8. Banana on ryebread, a favourite - 9. Utter bliss - sofa & fireplace
10. I was cold to the bone - 11. Blueberries, mhmm - 12. Funny faces while waiting for food


Instagram is one of my obsessions, I love it oh so much and I check it so much that I often have to restrain myself from bombarding my followers with pictures. Mine's @nannaemma what's yours? x

Ready for action!

So these past few days I've actually gotten my bum off of the sofa and a little out and about. About time, yeah? (if only you knew how much time I've spent on the sofa this month. We've become very dear pals)

There's a massive lack of jobs in Denmark these days so it's really hard to get one but obviously it's  harder if you don't even try... So I've applied for about 10-15! Which is a start. I've also been to a few open houses to some schools I'd like to attend just to get an idea of what they have to offer and which ones I'd prefer. 

After spending two months of hardly doing anything I'm really ready to just work my ass off and make a living for myself! It's sort of as though my life's been on standby recently, so I'm eager and ready to turn it on once again :)

Plus side of being out of job:

- I can nap whenever I feel like it

- I get to watch as many films as you'd like

- it's alright if I don't shower and stay in my pjs for a few days... as long as I'm staying out of the public eye

- I get to spend all day with my baby dog and see my family more often

- I can do most of the housework so mum can come home an relax

Downside of being out of job:

- I lose track of time. 'Is it Tuesday or Thursday?'

- I eat when I'm bored and therefore am ruining my plan of losing weight

- Life starts to feel a little meaningless

- I have no money at all so I can't really do much

I bet there'll be lots more blogging once I get going again - after all, you've gotta have something to blog about! 

Hope your week has been lovely so far x

ps. did you watch the Brits? (being the sucker for all things British that I am obv I did) I really wish Adele had been there(her little certain finger action last year was missed). I found it so funny how they filmed Harry while Taylor was on stage (celebrities are like one big drama novel).

15 facts about me (part 3/4)

31. You know those people who says 'Oh I haven't been to a hair dresser in 6 months!' or 'in a year!'? Well I haven't been to a hair dresser in probably 8 years. Don't like going like some people don't like going to the dentist. It terrifies me.

32. I used to sit up perfectly straight but everyone else slouched around so I taught myself to slouch..... How stupid of me. Now I'm practicing a more lady-like sitting posture.

33. I like to go to bed late and wake up early. But I still love to sleep, so how does this work? Napping.

34. I definitely believe that there's more than just one soulmate out there for everyone. Besides lovers, you find them in best friends, animals and family members.

35. According to others I'm a very random person.

36. I got my belly button pierced on my 13th birthday because I hate my belly button and want to hide it.

37. I've tried a lot of different sports but never really found one that kept me interested for more than a year. I've been doing pilates for quite some time now though and think it may stick around for a while.

38. Unexpected change scares me even though I know it's usually for the best.

39. Boys who wear their shirt underneath their jumper steals my heart.

40. My favourite movies (besides HP obv) is secretly the animated Tinkerbell movies. A bit of fairy dust brightens my childish spirit :)

41. I really cannot relax if I'm in the ocean. I'm terrified of all underwater creatures and always have been. I will jump on your back and scream if I see fish near me.

42. Though English is my favourite language I'm very glad that I wasn't born in an English speaking country. A lot of English people only know one language and I think it's really great to be able to think, speak and sing in another language.

43. I don't support zoo's, circuses or any kind of animal shows.

44. I haven't had a Mcdonalds or Burger King or any kind of fast food in years. Probably not since I went to Florida in 2009.

45. I've never played with Barbie but I did want to be a Ninja Turtle. Preferably Leo with the blue mask, cause he was the oldest and biggest.

Go on a read part one here,
or perhaps you already read that and missed part two? :)
There's a part four as well right here!

Things I'll do more often

Say hello and give a smile to a stranger
Put flowers and bows in my hair
Wear colours

15 facts about me (part 2/4)

16. I'm a vintage, romantic, lace, floral, pastel kind of girl.

17. It's ridicuslus how many times I've read the same book or seen the same movie.

18. One of my best friends and I used to take lots of pictures of ourselves, we spent hours running around playgrounds, forrests or fields just to snap some pictures. (one of them shown above)

19. I have had a big crush on Pierce Brosnan since I was little. Love how clean groomed and classy he's always been. They sure don't make boys like that anymore.

20. People has always seen me as very... elusive. I'm a daydreamer and it's hard to keep up with my dreams sometimes.

21. With that being said I'm still a very down to earth person, and my life goal and dream has and will always be to have a family. It's everything besides that that's quite undecided.

22. My mum is my greatest friend of all time. She's a blessing.

23. It's completely impossible for me to have a scab without itching. It's amazing my body isn't filled with scars.

24. Animals are better than people.

25. Peter Pan and Thumbelina are my favourite stories, ever.

26. Astrology facinates me a ton and I'm quite knowledgeable about zodiac signs compared to normal people.

27. I cry when I touch or cook meat with bones in it or if its skeleton is still in it. Especially with chickens.

28. If I hear a good catch phrase in a movie and I'll memorise it and wait til the perfect time to use it in my own life. I'm very lame.

29. I'm not very good at being teased. But I'm very good at teasing others.

30. From the age of 12-13 I played soft-ball and was quite good at it. I was either 1st base or pitcher which is quite weird cause today I'll scream and close my eyes if you throw me something.

Read part one right here :)

15 facts about me (part 1/4)

Here's me hopping on the "facts about me" wagon :) I love all these posts that are going around on blogs these days! Here's 15 facts about me if you want to get to know a little random info about me. Definitely enjoyed writing them :)

1. I think and wonder too much for my own good and this is something I've been told by people ever since I can remember. I just can't help it, my brain is constantly working!

2. When I was born I had a defect in my heart and a crooked food and when I was 10 I broke my thigh, so I've had my fair share of surgery and hospital visits. You can put a needle in me if you want, they don't scare me whatsoever. (Though I'd appreciate if you didn't)

3. Three and thirteen are my lucky numbers! I was born on the 13th.

4. I am a massive Harry Potter fan. Like more than you could imagine. I've never been one to talk to people at school about it or anything cause it's sort of my little private world and you better be special to share it with me. Oh, and at Pottermore.com I was sorted into Hufflepuff.

5. A few years back I had my braces taken off and I had to learn how to smile all over again cause I had been hiding my teeth for years due to the braces.

6. I love driving.  It doesn't matter if I'm the one driving or not, I just love being in a moving car. It has a soothing effect on me. I could litterally sit in a car for more than 24 hours. Lucky thing that I've never experienced motion sickness, ever.

7. The smell of men's perfume hypnotizes me. Men's perfume are so much better than women's, I wish I could wear theirs instead of ours.

8. My hands are smaller than the average pair of hands but my fingers are quite chubby which leads to baby hands.

9. I fall in love too easily with everything; books, boys, movies, stories, friends, animals, ideas, places etc.

10. I love being at home, I'm very much an introvert and definitely not a party animal. I feel like now is the time I should be partying and drinking with a big group of friends every weekend, but I've just never been like that. I'm pretty sure I'm an old woman on the inside.

11. You can't explain something to me by just telling me or showing me one time. I'm really bad at getting the message in like that, I don't know if I have some sort of ear problems or something, but I can't understand what you're trying to teach me unless I read it or try it out myself.

12. I used to feel so uncomfortable if people wanted to touch me. Even a hug or a little poke in the cheek, especially any form of touch in the face, would totally freak me out. I'm pretty good with physical contact now, but still prefer most people don't touch my face.

13. Dancing makes me happy. I cannot go a day without dancing.

14. I am absolutely head over heels for boys who have a good comfortable relationship with their family. I prefer a mommy's boy. (not to the unhealthy extent)

15. I can eat surprisingly big amounts of food at a time. I'm pretty sure I could win an eating contest.

Read part two here :)

8 things that helps me pass my days

Being home all the time can drive you a little crazy sometimes so I've had to take up some old and new hobbies (other than doing house chores everyday) in order to keep myself busy;

- knitting; I started knitting a scarf last summer but never got around to finishing it, so now that I've currently got plenty of time on my hands, I've decided to finish what I started! I can always wear it next Winter...

- 30 day shred; you've probably heard of this challenge before, it's a 20-30 minute workout that you have to do each day for at least 30 days and you'll see great change in your body. It's really hard for me to work out each day, it's just such a bore. But this intense and rather short workout seems mangable enough to get through. I've started this before, but as most other projects I start, I never finished it. But now's the time. Even got my mum to do it with me!

- The Carrie Diaries; being a huuuge fan of tv-series, I obviously had to adopt a new series into my dull life. Sex & the City was always fun to watch but I was never a massive fan; this show however (Carrie Bradshaw as a teen) has taken me by storm. Absolutely love the charachter's, they're so natural and I have to admit I quite fancy Austin Butler who plays Carrie's love interest...

- Grocery shopping; since I got my own car it's been so easy getting around and I've been going grocery shopping 5 out of 7 days the last few weeks. Even if it's just an extra carton of yoghurt we need or if we're nearly out of dog treats - I'll go! Suppose it's not really a hobby but it might as well be considering how often I do it.

- Online games; The Wizard of Oz on facebook - addicted. Mum and friend is playing it as well, I've got to beat them! Virtual Families 2 on iPhone - annoyingly addictive. You have to build a family and their dream home, but their time works the same as our time, so it literally takes forever.

I've been playing these while waiting in the queue when grocery shopping! (multitasking)

- Reading Harry Potter; after I visited the Harry Potter studios and bought the whole book series (although I already owned them) I got completely obsessed with them once again and even read 1-5 in less than a month! After I came home to Denmark again though I forgot about them but I've taken them down from the shelves again and has now started number 6. Always makes me happy when reading these. Must never stop reading them.

- Cooking; is soothing, fun and the best part is eating it! I've loved cooking for a really long time now, but being home a lot gives me the opportunity to cook every single meal of the day. It's rather satisfying cooking everything you eat!

10 things that have made me happy ♥

To be honest I could fill them all out plus fifty more with things about being back home! But I've made the habit of writing things down that makes me happy as they happen so I've had a few others to choose from :)

1) People letting me know they were really touched when they recieved my Christmas greeting letters. Makes me so happy and confident that I'll carry the tradition on. Move over facebook and e-mails, no one can compare with an old fashioned handwritten letter.  

2) An evening filled with board games, candlelights, sweets, good friends and laughter. A kind of goodbye-night as lots of us in the house were leaving to go back home during Christmas.

3) A little homey café that serves the best chai latte ever. I quite fancy a chai latte but only ever the ones at Starbucks until I tried this one. I brought my book and sat there for a couple of lovely hours enjoying myself very much.

4) Embracing my mum for the first time in three months. Lots of happy crying, loads of happy sniffles and tons of happy smiles.

5) Finally finding the Cadbury Dairy Milk with oreo at the airport! Been looking for it for three months in both Sainbury's and Waitrose without any luck at all. It was better than anticipated so now I'll obviously have to write an exclamation mark-filled letter to the Danish supermarkets telling them to import Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate!

6) Wrapping up presents in cute wrapping paper from Marks & Spencers ✂

7) Just being with my little dog again. Literally everything about him has made me happy; watching him run to the door in excitement as I ask him if he wants to go for a walk, waking up to him cuddled up next to me on my pillow between my head and shoulder, giving him a kiss every 10 minutes etc. ♥

8) Mum's homemade cooking ♡ oh, and add free food here as well!

9) Eating breakfast in the living room early in the morning admiring all our Christmas decorations and Christmas lights. I love the dark mornings and have really been enjoying them for the last few months.

10) And though I really could have picked another 10 this time I'll end the list with finally being behind the wheel again. Something exciting and freeing about driving after having taken the tube for three months ;)

Moments from the past few days

 1/4 - Celebrated a friend's birthday at Wagamama in Hampstead with the new Chu Chee Curry and frozen yoghurt for dessert. At first we went to see the Christmas Tree ligthening at Trafalgar Square and then we ate and talked the night away. It was a very lovely evening spent in gorgeous company x

2/4 - Saw these pretty christmas decorations at the sweetest little café in Hampstead. Very pleasent thing to look at while eating lunch and getting warm.

3/4 - My roommate bought us some candlelights and we spent the evening listening to Christmas music with the lights turned off and the candlelights lit.

4/4 - I had these mazing scrambled eggs today in a little café we found in Hampstead. Had a sausage and green tea as well, it kept me full for the entire day :)

10 things that've made me happy recently

Once again here's my list of things that have put a smile on my face lately. View my last happy-list here or pop over to Rosie's blog the girl behind the happy-list idea :)

1. Getting off work for new years cause Amanda is coming to visit x

2. This might sound silly but it always makes me happy reading Rosie's happy list. It's full of little quirky moments and just generally reading Rosie's blog makes me cheery and in such a cosy mood :)

3.  As I mentioned in a previous post; getting an advent calendar in the post from my mum!

4. Spontaneously going out for dinner and dessert with some girl friends. I had some yummy garlic king prawns, rustic hummous and finished with a homemade apple-pie with a scoop of chocolate ice. Om.nom.

5. Blasting Christmas music all day without any objections from my housemates. They've actually asked me to play some instead of the usual "Seriously Nanna, it's not Christmas yet". 

6. Late night walk in Hampstead Heath with Charlotte ♥ Oh and the silly dances we do, Disney Christmas movies we watch and many laughs we share.

7. Dad telling me he thinks I'm cool for being here in London and that he's proud. Touched my heart.

8. This one is quite obvious; visiting the Harry Potter studios. That's going to make my "10 things that have made be happy this year"

9. Reading Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone in the morning on my way to work and in the evening before I fall asleep. Decided to re-read all the books!

10. Waking up in the middle of the night thinking "I am sleeping so good" - haha!

I could have put at least 10 more in this list, but they'll just appear in the next one. Had already written most of the list last week so I'll stick with these 10 for now :)

What little things have made you smiley lately? x

Ten things that have made me unhappy recently

Although things are going very well here in London, there are still those days where all I want to do is stay under the duvet, hide my face all day or have my mummy come over and make me some curry chicken and tell me everything is going to be just fine.

My life is 85% complete bliss at the moment, which is definitely something, I’m deeply grateful for but I still think it’s important to acknowledge those bad 15% because there would be no good without the bad, so really the bad things are what makes the good things great and it is therefore something we should take notice of.
So today I’ve written 10 things that have made me feel a little poopy lately.
 (Written in no particular order) 

1. Watching my friend cry

2. Realizing I’m not going to see my mum, dad or any family member until January

3. – Realizing I’m celebrating Christmas for the first time away from home

4. Skin breaking out, making me super self-concious

5. Knowing there’s this thing I’ve been putting off for years that I now have to deal with

6. Worrying about being away from my dog & grandmum who’s both advanced in age

7. Being disappointed that I haven’t made any British friends yet

8. Seeing a three-legged cat with no collar. Breaks my heart

9. Afraid to disappoint the people at my new job

10. Worrying about money



- photo quote from one of my favourite books "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". Took it from google

Things I've learned about London (so far)

 This is in no way meant to be disrespectful to British people, you all know I very much love being here and desperately (quite sad actually) want to be one of you. These are merely observations I have.. observed?

● Everyone's overly polite. You literally say please behind every sentence and if you don't you're considered rude. People will even correct if you forget the 'please'.
- This doesn't bother me at all it's just very weird to me that the woman/man behind the checkout counter says 'please' when telling the price. It's not like I can refuse to pay now can I?

● You not only drive on the left side but tend to walk to the left as well.
- Very confusing when I've been taught to walk to the right my whole life.

● "Yeah you alright mate yeah?"
- English version of the American's "Hi how are you".

● Pubs close early. You're lucky if you can find a good nightclub that's open til 3 o'clock.

● People here are so nice! They'll gladly help you even if they don't know you. Sometimes they even come to you before you've had the chance to ask for it.

● Hogwarts isn't special with its school uniforms and British students.. That's how all schools are here.

● British people tend to choose the dirty tables in a resturant instead of the clean ones. Why?

● People will actually stand in que all the way out on the streets to get their starbucks coffee in the morning.

● We've had to cover our bottles of alcohol in a bag 'cause apperantly there's no public drinking?

● England is warmere than Denmark.

●  If an ambulance drives by you are guaranteed to go deaf.

●  Once you've been to Primark everything else is expensive.

● Most British celebs are only famous in the UK. I've never heard of 90% of them.

●  British people love sarcasm. And moaning. And talking about the weather.

● Bugger.

●  Pants are underwear - trousers are pants!

● There's not a lot of English things - everything's basically taken from other countries. Even tea!

● Using the self-checkout in shops is not always the fastest way.

● Never trust the weather - it's true!

● English radio is much better than Danish.

● Nanna means grandma. Therefore I shall be called by my middlename whilst living here.

● People have a strange love for all things deep fried.

● It's really expensive to live in London. Like ridiculously expensive.

● There's always something to do or something to see in London.

● It's normal for strangers to call you 'love' and 'babe'.

My 5 core values

I have given myself the task of finding the 5 core values of my life and sharing them here on the blog. I've always felt like I know who I am and what I'm about (I'm not afraid to fully defend the things I feel strongly about in an argument) but I must admit it's been quite a struggle trying to whittle it down into words. 

It has made me ask myself questions such as "what do I stand for?", "what inspires me?", "what kind of person do I wish to be?" and those are all big time-eating questions. I really hope you'll get something out of reading this and perhaps even doing this task yourself. It'd be a real pleasure to read your greatest values in life, so if you feel like doing this please leave a link of it in my comments. 

There are no wrong or right ways to do this, choose 5 things you find yourself immersed in fully and happily and just generally things and traits that speaks to you.

Here's the 5 I narrowed it down it. There are lots of other values I find important but these are the 5 core values I think are the most important to me right now at this point of my life. 

1. Family 

I value my family above everything. My family is my all and I would do anything in my power to protect them and keep them safe. They amuse and infuriate and entertain me by turn and I love them fiercely with every fiber in my body. 

They are everything I could ever ask for and I would not be able to be who I am without them. They provide the love I need in order to be strong and composed. They strengthen my self-esteem, they give me courage, they make me creative, they give me hope and they give me the kind of safety and love that makes me able to love others.

I cannot imagine a situation where I would choose anything over my family. 

That is the main core of who I am and what I appreciate in other individuals. I always find myself drawn the most to other people with a great family bond.

2. Kindness

This is such an important thing in life and sometimes I wish the world valued this trait more than it seems to do. Kindness should be in everything that you do, it is the foundation of being a good person and I believe it to be one of the keys to happiness. My parents have always made a big deal out of teaching my sister and I to be kind and polite towards others. They would always ask us if we'd remembered to say please and thank you and give one of our smiles to those who didn't have one. It doesn't cost you anything to be kind, so why not be it every day? It's a wonderful thing to be :)

 

3. Independence 

Today's world are built up around individuals and yet most people either follow others or lead others. Ever since I was little I've never felt the need to be a part of any of those things. I've always been perfectly content with just being myself and if there weren't any people around me with the same interests or values as me I would simply just be on my own. And I've never ever seen that as a problem - I've always been rather comfortable with silence. I realize we're all different and all have different needs and paths to walk in life but I really value people who are independent enough to know what they stand for and who's able to make a decision of their own. Yet another key to happiness; being independant makes you feel comfortable, solid and safe and most importantly happy.

4. Faith

Believe in something. Believing is a major part of my life and I pity all of those who can't believe. I'm not necessarily talking about religion here; believe in the greater good whether it be a god, Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, your best friend, Mother Nature ect. 

The important thing is that you believe in something good, cause believing brings hope and I cannot imagine anyone truly living without hope in their lives.  Use all your senses to take in the beauty and wonder of the world. There is so much out there to believe in.

I've always told people that I believe in God but I don't mean a specific God that people have in their religions. It just means that I believe in something greater. Because to me the term God is 'something greater'. And 'something greater' to me equals all things good. I have never stopped believing in Father Christmas, though my awareness of my faith to him has changed since I was a child, the faith I have in him is still the same. He is the essense of goodness and joy and hope and I believe in everything he stands for and I will pass my faith on to my children one day.

5. Honesty

For me honesty goes hand in hand with multiple things fx trust and communication and even independence. It makes me sick to my stomach when people are being dishonest with me or are keeping things from me. Any great relationship is built on great communication and great communication is built on honesty. 

If someone has a problem with me I want them to tell me. If someone is curious about something about me and my life I want them to ask me. So always always be honest with people and speak what you think and feel. The truth may hurt for a little while but a lie hurts much longer.

It is also important to be honest with oneself. Sometimes I’m not completely honest with myself when it comes to acknowledging my own reactions to other people or situations and I need to work on that. I am already much better at it than I was a year ago but there's still lots of progress to be made.

___
So that's my 5 core values. It was so hard to just pick 5 and extra hard to share them with you but I'm really glad I did. Hopefully you'll do this task as well 'cause I would really love to read about your values.
Remember we are all different and core values may be difficult to put into words (at least for me, it's more something I feel spiritually y'know?) so be kind and respectful. 

I would like all of you to do this but I'm officially asking Rosie(Cider with Rosie Bee), Charlotte(Charlottes Web Blog), Kizzy(The Dainty Dolls House) and Louise(Sprinkle Of Glitter).

xx