Summer mode: 5 ways to recharge

Finally, the countdown is over! My full two weeks long Summer vacation has officially started at 6am this morning with a flight to Dubrovnik. The grand plan is to stay in Dubrovnik for six days with my boyfriend and then we are leaving to Barcelona for another 20 days (last week doesn't count as I will be working from Barcelona) where he is joining his new bball club, we are very excited about it :) 

Since both my boyfriend and I are about to move to a new city and country in my case, within one month from now, we really need to charge out batteries well for these big career and personal endeavors which are ahead of us.

Motivated by these big changes in my life, I have put together a list of 5 ways how to charge batteries which might help those of you ladies and gents who are like me having trouble unwinding first few days of vacation.

1. EAT HEALTHY

Last night (night before start of my vacation) I entered my apartment, dropped all of my work stuff at my desk and took couple of deep breaths trying to breed all of the weeks stress and tension. After taking a bath with coconut bath oil and body scrub I browsed through my kitchen where I usually keep everything but food and thought of a creative but simple snack I can make before going to bed early to be able to get up for my early flight for Dubrovnik.

 I found some berries from my mum's garden and a fat free yogurt which made a lovely snack. The point is not to spend the whole day in the kitchen during your vacation, but to take a conscious effort to help your body revitalize and rest inside and out with healthy and cheap fresh foods you already have in your fridge. 

2. SLEEP AT LEAST 8 HOURS

This is not to say you should spend your entire vacation in bed, don't go out and party but rather again to think about negative sleep patterns you might be experiencing during busy work days and consequences they bring to your eating habits, your look and work focus. Summer vacation is a good time to teach your body when to go to sleep and wake up. During my vacation I try not to set an alarm clock but to try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time. Also, I try not to have my mobile phone close to my bed. On top, I also allow myself to take an afternoon naps during weekends.

3. DON'T BRING YOUR WORK LAPTOP & MOBILE TO VACATION

Ok, this is one of the rules I myself have trouble with obeying. I think I have FOMO syndrome (Fear of missing out) so I keep making up reasons and justifications to myself of why I need to check my email real, real quick. The fact is (as my boss always said) things will get done with you away, company will not fall apart during your vacation period, most things can wait that long. Although, obviously one shouldn't leave things half done when going for a vacation but the fact is that there will always be new things to do, so one needs to be able to completely disconnect for a few days at least. Let's face it, nobody is that important that world will not go on without them.

4. PAMPER YOURSELF

Although we should all be able to find one day a week to take a nice relaxing bath at least or to lie down to watch a movie or read a book, take a spa day or something like that, for me, being on vacation doesn't mean dressing casually all day, wearing only flats etc. Just the opposite, during my vacation I try to take time to try to make myself a new hairdo every day, I change 2-3 outfits, brows the stores for some special creams and perfumes and just take time to enjoy and experiment with colorful fashion and beauty products. Summer is part of the year when I feel the most confident about my looks. Bellow is the colorful mani & padi I had done for this vacation. 

5. ENJOY THE SILENCE 

At work I am often surrounded with many people and noise, while on vacation I am trying to spend some quality time alone, then alone with my boyfriend and some time with my family (which can be overwhelming at times as well :) ). When spending time alone I like to do different things but when close to the sea I spend this time reading, running or walking down the beach, collecting sea shells and unique looking stones and playing cards with my boyfriend. 

What are the ways you charge your batteries when on Summer vacation lovelies? Does any of the ways I described in this post work for you?

  

My week in a review...

Last 10 days or so I was slacking with posting regularly due to busy work schedule which I tried to balance with couple of days of vacation and finally spending some time with my boyfriend. I had a lovely press event planned for one of my companies brands last Wednesday in the gorgeously luxurious Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Dubrovnik, so I used the weekend before that to spend time visiting my boyfriend and his parents who also live in Dubrovnik.

On Saturday we went to the amazing island of Lapad, where we were swimming in the lake at the very centar of the island, had amazing Mojitos on the beach and spend our time at the island surrounded by gorgeous peacocks. 

Naturally, I used the opportunity when my boyfriend was working out to ask his mum to show me his childhood photos. Wasn't "she" cute? ;)

Late at Wednesday night I got back to Zagreb to work, so I had to calm down my after mini-vacation depression with some lovely neon nail polish I got in H&M Madrid a month ago when visiting my boyfriend at the end of his play season. So, this was marked as neon Thursday. ;)

On Friday I naturally had to catch up with pilled up email on my blog email account as well as on the work one so I worked late but also had to catch up with cleaning after arriving back to my apartment so I did a little valet cleaning and emptied my change to fill up my Shoe fund (yes my boyfriend has one to, his sneakers collection is almost as vast as my heels collection).

After my Spanish class on Friday evening I was dead tired but still had to work on preparing games and decorations for my sister baby shower (she is pregnant and due beginning of August with little boy who's name will be Lovro). This is the Pampers cake I made for her.

After fun baby shower my mum used the opportunity when I was visiting her (shower was held at her house) to pile me up with cooked meals, cakes, fruits and vegetables from her garden to feed a small army. :) She is especially proud of her spices and berries.

Today, Sunday I planned as a relaxing day so I invited my friends Iva and Ljiljana for coffe and cake, I also managed to do a small shopping and to color my nails with H&M's "Blue my Mind" shade of blue for next work new work week adventure. :)

How was your week lovelies?