expat issues: skin savour

Honestly, I thought I was a bit more of a pro when it came to summer in Cyprus. 

It is my third summer here as an expat and I came many times before on holiday, so I thought I knew how to handle a day at the beach. Turns out the Cyprus sun can still get the better of me sometimes. Especially at the beach, it is so easy to forget how intense the sun is. And when your in and out of the water and that little cool breeze drifts along the coast and hits your sun lounger you could be fooled for thinking that sunburn is not a possibility. 

You would be wrong. This is exactly what happened today and now I am sitting here tapping away with a burnt nose and a nice bikini line around my neck. Silly, silly me! 

After testing a variety of products, I found the most effective item to battle the sunburn with is actually Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking body lotion.  It says:

"Vaseline Moisture Locking Body Lotion accelerates dry skins ability to repair itself by instantly increasing skins moisture reserves and locking in that moisture all day." 

And sunburnt skin needs a lot of moisture to get it back to its former glory, or at least encourage a golden glow to come out of the redness. Every time I put this stuff on it feels like my skin has a fresh layer; it's lack of fragrance means it will not irritate skin and it really brings relief for the tightness that comes along with sunburn. 

I always pop mine in the fridge before a sun session, so it not only moisturises but cools skin as you apply. Plus it's your standard moisturiser so it's not expensive. 

breakfast is more than cereal

Sometimes I am bored with breakfast. 

I know admission of the century right!?! I love eating, yes. But food so early in the morning can get to be a bit of a tedious must-do not a want-to. And I think it's because my breakfast routine has always been somewhat dull. First it was toast and peanut butter until I realised that bread brings out the inevitable bloat in me. Next it was Ryvitas with Philadelphia but there are only so many days in a row that you can get enthused about a piece of brown cracker-bread and some cream cheese. Then it was cereal. 

I think the problem is I get bored of these options. So in an effort to mix things I up I channeled inspiration from two places; a bar and a friend. 

These super yummy and nutritious egg muffins are great for breakfast. I love eggs in general - my favourite breakfast is scrambled eggs on toast with grilled tomatoes, but oh so impractical for work. So these are perfect. A friend made them first as a picnic item but they work great for the mornings also. I added courgette, red pepper and bacon to mine, as well as a little  cheddar cheese. 

I followed this recipe because I'm not so confident in the kitchen when it comes to baking; a little guidance always goes a long way!

A slightly lighter breakfast option came about from a trip to this little bar; along with your cocktail they serve little plates of apple, dusted with cinnamon and smothered with honey and raisons. Seriously its like an apple pie without the pastry (undoubtedly the best bit but nevertheless a little heavy for the morning right?). 

But as a breakfast item I find it's great for those hot, sweaty August mornings here in Cyprus when all you want is a ice cold coffee. And it's super easy to prepare; chop apple as desired, sprinkle with cinnamon, throw over some raisons and add as little or as much as you want. Pick up fork and eat.

If you need more substance, throw in a couple of oat cookies on the side. In Cyprus we have some great options so im sure you can find some yummy oat cookies with berries or something to go perfectly on the side. 

Any ideas for other breakfast alternatives to mix it up a little bit? 

the black hole AKA. 15th August

Where have I been hiding for the past *nearly* two days?

Yep there I am.....!

The 15th August is a public holiday in Cyprus (for reasons I don't know) and today my office was shut also.  So I have been in the above location, pretty consistently since Wednesday evening. These two days off coincide with mood being particularly low and most of my friends leaving the city. 

All the above have given me the perfect excuse to be lazy in my bed, with the air con on, hibernating from the 40 degrees outside. This should have been the perfect blogging opportunity right? But you know when you get a bit miserable all you want to do is watch sex and the city and eat ice cream and not force you fingers to tap jolly sentences into blogger? Well that was me. 

Yep 40 degrees is great for a week at the beach. For a month in the city......try it and come back to me. 

We will be back on track from now on (I have food to talk about later). 

the villa of my dreams

Have you ever found a place that is so calming, so luxurious, so completely the opposite of your everyday life that you want to stay there for ever? (I am expecting some replies to this question to add to my list of places to travel).

Latchi is my version of that. A little fishing village, away from people, away from life and away from the sound of traffic in Nicosia! I have been every year since moving to Cyprus and always stay in the same hilltop villas. 

I always book through these guys because I know I can trust them. I can trust them so much that I booked a villa without seeing pictures. A villa, which last year, was abandoned, overgrown and the pool was definitely not fit for swimming. 

Oh what a difference a year makes. This place was pure luxury. The villa has been lovingly made over and the little touches like outdoor sofas, hammocks and bean bags on the roof terrace really made it feel special, not a sterile-out-of-the-mould holiday villa. 

This one felt like home. I wish!

Anyone who really wants to get away from everything and relax, whether its a holiday across the water or a staycation for you expats already in Cyprus, I cannot recommend Latchi enough. Go!

summer squash

It's August which means we are in the hot and sweaty phase of the summer. Even when the sun goes down the temperature doesn't. 

I want to eat. 

But I don't want to eat. 

You know what I mean? 

........I know it's weird for me also. 

Since becoming an expat on a hot little island, my eating routine has turned distinctly more seasonal. More fish, fruits and salad and anything light enough to fill my stomach but not make me feel heavy. A little dish that I knocked out tonight actually, uses butternut squash and my favourite Greek cheese; Feta. And it is super easy. 

[bit blurry sorry]

All you do is roast butternut squash, with a little olive oil and salt, in the oven for about 30/40 minutes. Once out of the oven, crumble over some Feta, add a dash of olive oil and some oregano. And voila. It's eating time. 

It would be the perfect side dish for some grilled chicken or as part of a salad; i'm thinking baby spinach the butternut squash, pine nuts and a balsamic dressing. 

Any ideas for light summer dishes and will be greatly appreciated!

blogging blackout

I didn't mean to disappear. 

I've been a bad blogger. 

The days ran away with me. 

The sun seems endless and the weeks have blurred into one. 

The pool is my new best friend. 

And this little lady spends her days sleeping under my bed - the only cold place in the apartment. 

Forgive me. 

Fresh start for a new week. Sunday night wine-tails (half wine/half cocktail) seemed to put us all in a merry mood for Monday. And it's the first of July. Maybe I will try a little blog everyday in July (reminiscent of the success of May). Don't hold me to it though just in-case I fail miserably. 

when the going gets tough...

.....the tough go tanning!

This last week has been pretty much a nightmare from start to finish which is the reason for my silence.
The heat has accelerated to scorching.
The humidity has made me lazy.
And I got sick mid-week which totally threw me off balance.
Saturday was spent in the sun, with ice cold lemonade and a pool, a mere three footsteps from me at all times.
Sunday was spent hibernating from said scorching temperatures and playing with the new tea set of my boyfriends sister (she is 3 by the way).

And here we are back at Monday.
This Monday is better than most. Its a public holiday. And I'm hoping it will last forever. Although I doubt very much that will happen.

beauty: sun-care essentials

It's that time of year again in Cyprus... Summer! It is a bit hotter than usual for May and as such I have already had my first sunburn experience of the season *read: my own stupidity took over due to increased temperatures*.

So some summer essential items are already sitting pretty in my bathroom, ready for use. 

The ROC Soleil Protexion 30 is a great sunscreen. It has a super gentle smell (which is a big plus for me because sun-care always has that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it smell) great texture that's not greasy and the spray bottle is so convenient. Because when you hit the beach, it's to relax. Not spend 20 minute fiddling with sun cream bottles and applying to every inch of your pale skin.

Now the Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF 30* was given to me by the great ladies at Body Shop Cyprus and is now on my testing list. I used it at the beach on Saturday and came back with a nice glow, not a red nose, so it stood up to that adventure. But as the bottle says, it's a daily moisturiser. But sometimes, the sun-care moisturisers are a bit greasy and since my skin is oily anyway, I usually find my make up half way down my neck in no time. So I will be putting it to the test over the course of the week and I will let you know how I get on.

is it too early to buy a bikini?

The sun has been making it's presence felt more and more over the past few days and temperature feels positively spring like in Cyprus (i'm sorry for any UK based readers who are battling with snow and freezing temperatures). 

And so it's only natural that my mind has been wandering towards swimwear for the a new season. Especially since pinterest seems to have been feeding this idea with conveniently placed pins that scream summer at me. 

It does seem a bit ridiculous to buy a bikini in March. Especially since the economy in Cyprus is in such a delicate balance and who knows what is going to happen over the next few months. However the past week has been super serious so please let me have my moment of superficial frivolity. And cast your eyes upon my swimwear picks for summer. And of course if your an expat reader who is based in a hot sunny wonderful country, you will find this a lot more relevant than most!

It seems I have a print preoccupation or something....

ASOS

Piha

Zinke

Piha

Ted Baker