Blog Every Day in May: One Whole Month!

'Hoorah! Well done, you have made it through the month. How was it for you? Did you learn anything? What did you enjoy? What did you dislike? Sum it all up!'

wow. can you believe BEDM is all finished now? and more importantly can you believe it's the end of may already? where is all the time gone? crazy!

I loved this challenge and I really want to thank Rosalilium for creating it and bringing together so many bloggers. I also want to thank the incredibly lovely Tilly for making me join BEDM. 

I loved writing about things I would never normally write about and even though I struggled sometimes I am very glad I managed to post every day and every topic. who would have thought? of course that also meant I didn't get to post as many of my recipes as I usually would but it also means I have many of them coming now as of course I haven't stopped cooking just because I'm not posting about it as much. I loved that sometimes I was able to sneak in some recipes in posts and even create a whole menu for my dinner party post which was definitely one of my favourites.

I wrote some of the posts about an hour before midnight but I managed and I have to say I am rather proud of myself. I love how many people I've met because of this and I will always look back on the posts and enjoy reading through them again. I hope that my readers enjoyed it too and liked getting to know me a little bit better maybe. let me know if you like the lifestyle kind of posts and I will try and do some more of them in the future alongside my recipes. 

Blog Every Day in May has been a great experience and I enjoyed every bit about it. it will not be so easy to get back to my usual blogging but I definitely learned new things and got ideas for posts I could write. I have also met new bloggers which is always brilliant. I am glad I took part and want to thank everyone who did too.

Magdalena.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Who Inspires You?

'Who inspire you? Are they close to you? Somebody famous? Or even somebody infamous?'

I found this a very interesting topic but definitely not the easiest one to write. I was never one to say 'I want to be like her' when I was younger but I think there are so many very inspiring people around that it's hard to narrow it down really. to be honest you will probably find most of them in my fantasy dinner party post. 

after writing that post however, I thought of so many more people I could have listed but then my imaginative garden wouldn't have been big enough that's for sure. one person who I previously mentioned in a post (here) is sir alex ferguson. he is not so much a role model, not a person where I'd say I want to be like him mainly as I'm neither scottish nor a man or exceptionally good at football. he is just an inspiring person in general even would be for people who are not that much into football. he shows how committed you can be to something you are passionate about and that he will stay with the club even after retirement shows how much it really means to him. that is something I find so very important in life. I don't think you have to stay in the same job for 26 years to be happy but sometimes you have to commit to something and it'll make you happy.

then there are so many artists who inspire me as of course I am a huge music lover. you can find some of my favourites in my music love post. one of the most inspiring however is definitely micheal stipe, I have mentioned him in my dinner party post too as I would absolutely love to chat with him. he seems like the nicest and most calm person and how amazing would it be to talk to someone who writes genius lyrics? I also find it fascinating how he managed to have a career in music and still keep to himself. he's truly inspiring for me.

another person or well actually two who are definitely an inspiration for me are my parents. I know that's probably cliché but I am happy to have them as parents and especially when it comes to supporting my plans to go to the UK they have been incredible. my dad had a hard time getting to terms with it at first and probably still has but he'll find a way to deal with it and he's really supportive and happy for me too. my mum has been amazing right from the start and always made me feel confident about my plans and she's helping me as much as she can. I know it can't be easy to see your child move to another country so they are definitely an inspiration in that sense, and in many other too.

who are the people who inspire you the most and why?

Magdalena.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Morning Ritual

'Tell us about what you do every morning to help you get ready for the day ahead.'

I'm in uni in the morning most days so I need to somehow get myself out of bed and to uni until 8.15. I set my alarm for 6.30 which might seem ridiculous and it probably is but I like to know that I have enough time in the morning and to be honest I tend to just stay in bed until 7 anyway. probably not the smartest thing to do really but I hope I won't have to get up this early come september. I've heard the best time to get up (health and you know, body timing wise) is 7.22 so fingers crossed I can set my alarm to that time soon.

once I get out of bed at around 7 (sometimes 7.15 if I fall asleep again,  oops) I go to the kitchen and drink a big glass of water to get my metabolism going and wake up properly. sometimes that works. I then take a shower and get ready for uni which usually doesn't take ages as I don't tend to wear anything special really, jeans and a jumper/blouse are enough. 

I do try and have breakfast every morning and it usually works when I get up early enough. I prepare a little muesli with oats yogurt and banana (and sometimes other fruit aswell) and eat it once I'm all changed and ready while listening to some music and checking my blog and twitter. I don't like eating when I'm not completely ready yet because then it feels rushed and eating while you're in a rush is one of the worst things ever. I have also recently discovered overnight oats which are a lovely thing for breakfast and even great for days I happen to stay in bed until 7.15.

once I've eaten I get all my things together I need for uni meaning I make sure my pen and paper are in my bag, a very difficult task indeed. once that's all sorted I leave the house and walk to uni. it's a 15-ish minute walk and I try and leave the house at around 7.50 which a lot of the time doesn't work but as long as I still get to uni in time it's fine. I think this walk is one of the main things that get me ready for the day, I love to walk and it's especially great in the morning to get some energy. that and a good portion of neurobiology and genetics are all I need for a good start to the day.

Magdalena.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Bad Advice

'What is the worst advice you have ever received?'

'do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?' that's what my fitness app said the other day. you must think now that I have a very happy life never having received worse advice than that but truth is I just mainly can't remember any bad advice I've been given. but let's get back to what my app said I mean isn't that ridiculous? 8 glasses of water equal 2 litres of water and I am sure a person is supposed to drink even more than that. I know why I don't listen to this app so I guess I've learned something from this 'advice'.

but on a serious note now. we all receive bad advice at some point in our lives and unfortunately a lot of the time this is by people we trust and who should know better than to say things they are not sure about. a lot of the time when we are younger and our teachers/parents tell us that we can't do that and we're bad at something we take them way too seriously and that might in the worst case keep us from doing something we love just because others seem to think we're not good at it. 

of course there's also that kind of advice we think is bad but actually isn't. sometimes we don't want to listen to a friend's advice because we don't want them to know better. but hey sometimes they are and that's fine because another day we can tell them something they didn't know and they'll be happy about that (or not so much but that's ok too).

the point is think for yourself. don't let people tell you you're bad at something when you know you're not but at least have a think about what someone tells you because maybe they are right and maybe you need to do something different but you'll have to figure that out by yourself at the end of the day. mainly, don't let anyone tell you that 8 glasses of water a day are too much especially when they don't know what size your glass is. point made.

Magdalena.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Secret Talent

'What are you good at that nobody knows about? Tell us all about it.'

this is definitely not the easiest topic for me to write about. I am most certainly a person who has many different interests, but am I a person with many talents? well one of my talents probably is cooking and being creative with ingredients but that's most certainly not much of a secret once you're already on my blog. I used to enjoy other creative things like drawing but I wouldn't say I'm particularly talented at that either, I do still enjoy it though.


one thing I would say is my a talent of mine and that's languages. especially english though as it is my favourite language and has been for many years. I am not sure if I am particularly great at other languages as our teachers never really gave us the chance to properly learn french but I will most definitely give that a go again come september. also though even though you can't hear me speak on here (thank god!) you can probably tell I'm half decent at english when you read this blog. I hope so anyway.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that singing is a talent of mine as I know there are so many more talented people out there but it's probably the only thing most of you don't know about. I stopped taking lessons about a year ago after three years with my lovely teacher susana because I was finishing school and my teacher had moved to germany and I just needed some time off. I do regret it though as I had so much fun and met the best people when I joined the choir. I really want to do some singing again and I hope I get a chance to do so at university. so it's probably not my biggest talent but it's something I really love doing.

Magdalena

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Fantasy Dinner Party

'Dinner party time - Who would you invite? What music is playing? What are you eating? Is there entertainment? Let your imagination go wild!'

this is definitely one of the best topics of this whole challenge and such a great idea. however, I did find it quite hard to think of everything and I'm a person who wants to plan it all. not that everything always goes to plan but I like to at least have an outline of things. but I tried, so here it goes.

The Guests

• Hermione and Ron (I could do with some studying tips and I've always liked Ron much better than Harry)
• Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore (three of the most inspirational characters in all of the books)
• Michael Stipe (singer of R.E.M. and an absolute idol of mine who I've always wanted to meed, such a genius)
• Brandon Flowers (need I say more?)
• William Shakespeare (always wanted to know what he really looked like and how he talks and what his inspiration was)
• Jamie Oliver (I mean, of course!)
• Dr. Gregory House 
• James Watson and Fracis Crick (the guys who discovered the double-helix)
• Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (me and my mum always watched the show together)
• Mum (because I know she'd love to meet everyone too)

as you can tell I'm being a bit of a harry potter and science geek here but there are so many people out there I'd love to be able to speak to. I'm sure if I had time to think longer or if you asked me in a few weeks I could think of more people but that's today's list.

The Venue

the party will be taking place in a lovely garden and everyone will be sat around a round table so that everyone can talk to everyone as I'm sure there'll be some interesting conversations going on. there will also be a bar area with smaller tables to stand so people don't have to sit around the table all night, they can go and socialize with whoever they want.

The Music

I will create a playlist asking everyone of the guests to select some of their favourite songs so everyone will have something to look forward to, I will also be selecting some of my favourites. also there will be the option for the more musically talented among the guests to grab a mic and perform themselves.

The Menu

when the guests arrive there will be a strawberry mint fruit punch waiting for them as a welcome drink which will also be available at the bar later along with several cocktails. after the welcome drink the guests can sit around the table. they will find a menu there and can choose from two starts, two mains and two desserts. they can also ask to have half half if they want to try everything. here's the menu for you.

I loved this post and not only do I now desperately want a garden dinner party but also try all those things I invented for the menu. I loved writing this post and I hope you enjoyed reading it. what would you choose from the menu?

Magdalena.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.

Blog Every Day in May: Music Love

'What are your top 5 favourite albums and why?'

I love music which means I was really looking forward to writing this post. we're asked to share our top 5 albums and I thought I'd share the albums and also pick my favourite song from the album so if you don't know the band you can get a little idea what they're like.
I am very me when it comes to music you will hardly find me listening to the radio just because 99 % of the songs they play are nothing I would ever listen to and you will certainly find me pulling a face when I'm out in a pub and they're playing music I don't like. I'm certainly not one to love what's mainstream which doesn't mean that the bands I like can't be well known because some of them certainly are but when it comes to the style of music I'm not usually one to sing along to the usual gaga pop tunes. I didn't want to choose a favourite so I just sorted them by year and I'll tell you why I love them so much.

R.E.M. - Up (1998)
this is the band that has been one of my favourites for literally all my life as my mum always listened to them when I was little. and up until now they are something I always go back to and there is so much to go back to indeed. having released 15 studio albums it's not easy to choose my favourite but UP is definitely the one I spent the most time listening to and there are some brilliant songs there. for those who only know 'losing my religion' this is definitely something worth listening to. R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe is definitely one of my favourite artists ever and in my opinion the best song writer. I also went to see them live in 2006 which was an amazing first gig experience for little me.

Walk Unafraid
when I think of R.E.M. I think of this song and how me and my mum used to sing it very loudly on every car journey. it's amazing and so positive and different from what everyone else might think R.E.M. is.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
this was released ten years after R.E.M. and I can't believe it's been out that long already, crazy. I fell in love with this album when I first listened to it and it definitely became my favourite summer tune that year. Vampire Weekend have also just released a new album which from what I can say is pretty amazing and definitely worth a listen too. I chose this one however, because I know it better and it's the album that introduced me to the band (as it was their first, ha!). they definitely make every day feel like the nicest summer day, so if you're sick of rain definitely give them a listen.

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
it just sounds so positive and when I listen to it I just can't help but feel like jumping around the room and getting ready for something. also really good music to listen to in the morning.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You (2011)
also a band you'll all know and a band that has released so many albums, I'm with you is the newest edition to the collection and also has a new sound to it. another new addition to the band is their new guitarist Josh. their sound is still amazing and we will always miss John who played a huge part in the band but it's great that a band like that can after so many years still create something new. another reason why I chose this album in particular is that I went to see them live in november 2011 in manchester and it was absolutely amazing. even though I nearly passed out because of the lack of air and water I will always remember it as one of the best gigs in my life ever.

Did I Let You Know
most people will probably remember rain dance maggie but did I let you know has impressed me most from the start. it's without a doubt my favourite track on the album. I love the trumpets and josh's singing in this one.

Charlie Winston - Running Still (2011)
Charlie, well Charlie is something special isn't he. he's certainly an artist you couldn't possible compare to anyone in my opinion. he's a brit living in france and has the most special voice and the most amazing lyric writing skills too. I first heard his first single hobo on the radio a few years ago and fell in love instantly (one thing I have to thank austrian radio for). you would naively class his style as pop but it's a lot more, it's folky pop and indie and well it's just him and that's what every artist should be like really. running still is his second album which was released in france in 2011 but I only got to listen to it last year but loved it instantly. we also went to see him live in paris last september and it was possibly the best live show I will ever see. I can not wait to go and see him again sometime. brilliant artist without a doubt. 

Where Can I Buy Happiness
this is such a clever song you have to listen to the lyrics definitely. his voice is always amazing too of course but this is definitely one of the most well written songs and my favourite of the album.

The Killers - Battle Born (2012)
the killers, do I need to say more? they're definitely a band most people have heard of and you'll hear them say 'ah, yeah, mr brightside!' but no these guys from las vegas are so much more than mr brightside. they manage to stay themselves but still create something amazing and new with every album. battle born is their most recent one and wow can you believe they get better every time? there are some songs on there you would never have though they would do but listening to them it's just the perfect fit. they could do everything and still be The Killers which is what makes them amazing. I also had the chance to (very spontaniously) go and see them live in Cardiff last november which was a very impressive show and they are even better live than on record (if that's possible).

Here With Me
there are so many great songs on this album that I really couldn't decide, but this is definitely one of my favourites and it's one of those songs where you're like 'I feel exactly like that!' sometimes anyway. a beautiful and brilliant song.

also and even though this is technically cheating but also not really I want to give a honorary mention to killer's singer Brandon Flowers as he is not only the great mind behind their lyrics but has also released a solo album a few years ago and one song on there is not only really special to me anyway but will always remind me of my first time in London. I know it's not technically about me (ha!) and not even a person called Magdalena but hey, never thought there would be a song with my name out there and especially not by one of my favourite artists, so many thanks Mr Flowers!

it certainly wasn't easy to choose all those as there are so many great artists out there but I am rather happy with my collection and I hope you enjoyed it too. if there are some you haven't heard of them maybe you'd like to discover something new and if you have 23.09 minutes to spare you can even listen to all of them. but definitely the last one because this will give a sound effect to my signature. woo!

'Magdalena'.

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this post is part of the Blog Every Day in May series.