Nice places to eat, drink and relax in Riga

 Hello, Everybody!
 In case you're thinking of visiting Riga or you live in Riga but don't know where you could have a nice coffee/dinner date then this post is for you!

1. Caif Cafe. Riga, Šķūņu street 16.
 It's my favourite place where to drink coffee at. And not because the coffee is so amazing but because of the atmosphere. The cafe has two floors, big tables and instead of chairs - nice soft couches. :) Very often I go there with my best friends and at the end of evening we're already kind of falling asleep there because it's really cosy. And very often they play French music which is why I personally like this place even more. And for coffee they have a lot of syrups which is amazing. Yum, yum. It's located at Old Riga.

Click on the photo for the photo credit.

2. Ezītis Miglā.  Palasta street 9 and Aldaru street 12/14.

 It's a bar/restaurant in hipster style. Prices are very friendly. I think the French fries with sauce for only 2 euros is everyone's favourite there. The interior is very stylish and there is one table which located right below the stairs which makes you feel like you're in a Harry Potter's room. "Ezītis" also provides some  table games so it's always fun there. 

Click for the photo credit.

3. Vilhelma Pankūkas. Šķūņu street 6.

 "Vilhelma Pankūkas" is a small pancake restaurant at Old Riga. It's very nice to go there with a family. The interior really feels like home. And it's almost the only one pancake restaurant in the city centre. There is a big variety of pancakes: with meat, caramel, bananas, cheese etc. so for pancake lovers that's a good option. 

Click for the photo credit.

 4. CoffeeInn. Terbatas street 7.

 We have a lot of CoffeInn's in Riga but one of my favourite is located at Terbatas street 7.

 I like the atmosphere of this cafe. It is usually decorated with the drawings that are made by the customers. Tasty and not pricey coffee. Wi-Fi!!! And also comfortable chairs and enough of  power sockets for customers to charge their phones and computers. It's students favourite place where to do their homework and drink coffee at. :)

 5.Lido. Elizabetes street 65.

 I like this restaurant because it feels like a warm home and it's cosy. The waiters are dressed in Latvian national costumes and girls usually have a hair band of daisies in their head which is cute. You can have a normal meal which tastes as good as a homemade cooking. And in average a lunch can cost about five euros. Perhaps the best place to go for a meal and taste a Latvian cuisine.

 6. Kūkotava. Terbatas 10/12.

 For those of you who love pastry as crazily as I do Kukotava is heaven. They have cakes, cookies,muffins, even mini pizzas and other products. Also it's not pricey though it looks very exquisite on the inside. On a Valentine's day a queue there was so long that some people who wanted to order some cakes just lost their patience and with anger slammed the door. Well, the place is popular so they should have predicted something like that to happen on 14th of February.

 7. Crazy Donuts. Krišjāņa Barona 28.

(couldn't find an original picture so look at the screenshot) 

 For the lovers of donuts this cafe has it all. I'm not sure about the prices but I think one donut costs about 0,70 euros and tastes heavenly good when a donut at the supermarket can cost about 0,85 euros and taste like rubber. So it's definitely worth going there even though it's not that close to the centre. I really like how colourful this place is. After tough days at school just being there makes me feel better.

8. Pizza Italia. Brīvības bulvāris 30.

It wouldn't have been me if I didn't add pizza in this list. One slice of pizza there costs only 1,89 euros. They have different other dishes from Italian cuisine and you can even order WOK there. I love this place and it is always beautifully decorated according to the season. I often like to come there and write some creative ideas in my notebook while drinking hot chocolate. Probably this bistro somehow inspires me.

 That's all. Have I missed something? What other nice places I should add into my list?

Your Life Is What You Make It & Vlogging

  Hi guys!
  I know I'm not the best at vlogging. I'm not a good speaker and I suck at all the technical aspects but taking my camera with me everywhere truly makes my life more FUN and makes me happier. :) I've been trying to do this for two years now and I've realized that I have three seasons in my life every year: summer - working hard to make money for all the entertainment and stuff I actually need, autumn/winter - being sick and stressing out over school, spring - relaxing and being creative. Maybe if I lived in a warmer country I would be relaxed more often and healthier and then I would keep up with my videos/vlogs etc. But right now it is what it is. I'm not doing this for money or attention I'm doing this for ME and that's what matters :) I don't know maybe once I graduate school I'll feel more free. Or maybe this will happen when I'll get my bachelor's because university is also stressful and hard. I don't understand people who can manage to do both: vlogging and studying at the same time. It would be too much of pressure for me because I'm a perfectionist. I don't know how others deal with it. But I wish with all my heart that in the future I can have a job that I would be able to do distantly from home and that would save my time to do more interesting and creative things, and exploring the world...you know it.
  I don't know why am I sharing this with you. Obviously I want to share with you my new vlog but I also feel very frustrated that I can't do the things I love constantly. :( Also there are a lot of people that never understand why am I doing this. Why do I write blog posts, why do I make videos, why do I like to speak up on social media? I try to explain them that it is fun, it makes life more interesting, it helps me understand myself and grow and this way I also kind of leave something behind me: memories or an inspirational "something" that would impact somebody. I'm so tired of people who are talking me out of it, saying that I should do something more practical, more intellectual, deeper things, more serious things. Not all things in our lives have to be that way. My life is what I make it!!! It can be boring and practical or I can make it adventurous, meaningful and breathtaking. I don't care about the difficulties! I don't care if others laugh! My happiness is my priority. And as a Christian I also believe God wants us to be happy so having fun and enjoying your life and exploring things is not a waste of time for me. :)
  I hope this reminder will make me more courageous! And also I hope it will inspire you to be BRAVE! A lot of great people tried to succeed at the same things for ages until they reached their goal. A lot of people were wandering the Earth for ages, working minimal wage jobs, until they found their calling. So anyone who is trying to put a label on you can go home because their opinion does not matter. Only yours and God's opinion matter. If others don't understand, they can leave. And if they don't - ignore them.
  Life is too short to waste it on people who bring you down. I'm sure with some time I will find supportive and like-minded people. And the circle of this people will increase and increase because I'm choosing a POSITIVE thinking and FAITH and HOPE. These three things are truly all you need for happy living!
  So here are my video memories of the passed holidays. Click here
  I love you all! <3
  Never stop believing! Never give up!

For Your Soul and Bones

  Guys, I'm not  a committed 100 % "flower child" but being close to the nature can seriously cure a lot.
 I'm fighting with migraines and weak immunity for six years now and nothing helps me relax that much as a breeze and the sound of waves, and the touch of water. I know some people who find streaming water at the sink  relaxing and it relieves them from their pain. I just want to suggest you if you are fighting a disease or deal with a lot of stress, especially if you live in the city like I do, then find some time at least in your weekend to really meet the nature. And by saying nature I mean something more than a central park that is surrounded by beeping cars. That would not be helpful. I think it is important to find a peaceful place close to nature to meditate, sort things out and get clarity in your head and also just to enjoy the landscape and the sunlight (those things also give hormones of happiness). So this is my challenge to you! This is not a long post but it is just a reminder. We as human beings are the part of the nature which why it's just normal to connect with it sometimes. :)

Confidence And Love

 Hello, Everybody!
 In this post I'll talk about being confident and loving yourself the way you are. Very often we become insecure because we compare ourselves with a perfect image that Internet and the media in general gives us. I honestly like photography, editing and art but you must understand that a pretty face you see on Instagram is not a real life. For the Instagram fans this one picture has been a long process of having their make-up perfectly done, finding a good lightning, finding a good angle and finding a good pose and then editing. It doesn't mean that this person looks like that 24/7. We don't need to look perfect 24/7, we're humans.
 I feel completely okay even without my make-up, without my hair done, in an old oversize sweater and with my glasses on. I simply don't care what the people think. As long as I feel happy and comfortable in my skin that's alright not too look like the rest. At the end of the day I am familiar with a lot of perfect looking barbie dolls but just because they look perfect doesn't mean they have it all. Very often they can be antisocial, boring and non-friendly type of people. And because of that they can be very lonely. Very often without their Instagram they simply don't know how to interact with people. So, please don't put the image you see on the Internet on such a high pedestal. A lot of what you see isn't even real, it may be a photoshop, it may be the illusion of your sight, it may be a sponsored content and people are paid to make everything look perfect. You have to be happy with who you are. And remember it's hard for people to like you if you don't like yourself. That's the truth. 
 In the picture below you can see me the exact same day. First - me without any make-up, without a filter when I'm tired and second - when I feel kind of fresh, with some make-up and a filter. I know I have dark circles around my eyes, my eyes don't blink at the same time, my lips are always dry but that's not really what's important. We all have imperfections but our imperfections also make us special and unique. Just don't judge a book by its cover, read it first! And stop comparing yourself to the others. It's meaningless. And remember our creator is God and He never makes mistakes! Love yourself and praise God! <3

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
Psalms 139:14

GOD BLESS YOU!

I LOVE YOU ALL! <3

Things To Do In The Summer In Latvia | Les Choses à Faire En Été en Lettonie

 Hello Everybody!
 Bonjour tous le monde!

 This is the first post I'm doing bilingually: in English and French.
 C'est le premier post que je fais bilingue: en anglais et en français.

 I'll tell you about things you can do in the summer in Latvia.
 Je vais vous dire des choses que vous pouvez faire en été en Lettonie.

 1. In the Year 2017, the Riga-Gauja region will bear the title of European Region of Gastronomy. A special concept, called "Wild at Palate", will be the guide for you to get to know the diverse dining out pleasure to be found in Riga, Sigulda, Cesis and Valmiera together with Denmark's Aarhus and the Lombardy region of Italy. The program of events for the European Region of Gastronomy 2017 is organized by the tourism sector, involving the top chefs from the finest restaurants, farmsteads, proprietors and persons affiliated with the arts and entertainment. New happenings will be held, new tourist routes will appear, and the subject of food placed front and center at well-known events.
  The first food festival in Riga is held on January 14. It will be held at Kaļķu / Vaļņu Street from 14:00 to 20:00.   Dzintars Kristovskis, chef of Valmiermuiža embassy in Riga and the Riga-Gauja region ambassador: “European Region of Gastronomy is about returning to the roots - back to the produce and raw materials that we’ve hailed, respected and consumed for centuries, that have grown right here, behind the city walls - in our bountiful forests, meadows, fields, rivers and lakes.” Similar events will happen throughout the year. And I think it will be very interesting in the summer.

(Information source: here)

 1.En l'an 2017, la région de Riga-Gauja portera le titre de Région européenne de la Gastronomie. Un concept spécial, appelé "Wild at Palate", sera le guide pour vous faire connaître les différents délicatesses  à RIga, Sigulda, Cesis et Valmiera avec Aarhus  au Danemark et la région Lombardie en Italie. Le programme d'événements pour la Région européenne de la gastronomie 2017 est organisé par le secteur du tourisme, impliquant les meilleurs chefs des meilleurs restaurants, fermes, propriétaires et personnes affiliées aux arts et au divertissement. De nouveaux événements se dérouleront, de nouveaux itinéraires touristiques apparaîtront et le sujet de la nourriture placé avant et au centre à des événements bien connus. Le premier festival de nourriture à Riga est tenue le 14 janvier. Il aura lieu à la rue Kaļķu / Vaļņu de 14:00 à 20:00. Dzintars Kristovskis, chef de l'ambassade de Valmiermuiža à Riga et ambassadeur de la région de Riga-Gauja dit : "La Région Européenne de la Gastronomie est sur le point de revenir aux racines - retour aux produits et aux matières premières que nous avons salué, respecté et consommé depuis des siècles, qui ont grandi ici, derrière les murs de la ville - dans nos abondantes forêts, prairies, champs , des rivières et des lacs." Des événements similaires se produiront tout au long de l'année.  Et je pense qu’ en été il sera très intéressante. 
(La source d'information: here)

Click on the picture for photo credit.

Cliquez sur l'image pour le crédit de photo.

 2. Another thing you can do is going to the concerts. Two big concerts are already confirmed to happen in June and July.

• On June 21, one of the world's best concert bands Foo Fighters will give an open-air rock concert in Lucavsala.Visitors can expect an energetic and epic concert. Foo Fighters will perform their hits (like The Pretender, Everlong, Best of You, All My Life, My Hero, Learn to Fly, Walk and Something from Nothing, among many others.) Foo Fighters have 11 prestigious Grammy awards and more than 30 million sold records. The band's latest album Sonic Highways was published in 2014.The concert will happen at 17:30 and price is EUR 69.00-EUR 199.00.

          ( Information source: here)

• Second concert is on July 27. The price and the place are the same. American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers will arrive in Latvia to perform in a grand open-air concert during its world tour following release of The Getaway album last summer. Red Hot Chili Peppers has won six Grammy Awards and has topped the music charts across the world. The Getaway has become the band's seventh album reaching Top 10. During the first week after its release, the album ranked first in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The band has sold more than 80 million records and five of the band's albums have got the multi-platinum status.
   ( Information source: here)

 2. D'autres choses que vous pouvez faire est d'aller aux concerts. Il est déjà confirmé qu'il y aura deux grands concerts en Juin et Juillet.

•  Le 21 juin, l'une des meilleures bandes de concerts du monde, Foo Fighters donnera un concert de rock en plein air à Lucavsala. Les visiteurs peuvent s'attendre à un concert énergique et épique. Foo Fighters réalise leurs coups comment : The Pretender, Everlong, Best of You, All My Life, My Hero, Learn to Fly, Walk and Something from Nothing et les’autres. Foo Fighters ont 11 prestigieux Grammy prix (awards) et plus de 30 millions de disques vendus. Le dernier album du groupe Sonic Highways a été publié en 2014. Le concert débute à 17h30. Les billets coûtent environ EUR 69.00 - EUR 199.00.  

         (La source d'information: here)

• Deuxième concert le 27 juillet a 19 :00. Le prix et le endroit sont les mêmes. Le groupe de rock funk américain Red Hot Chili Peppers arrivera en Lettonie pour effectuer dans un grand concert en plein air lors de sa tour de monde. Red Hot Chili Peppers a remporté six Grammy Awards et a dépassé les charts de musique à travers le monde. The Getaway est devenu le septième album de la bande atteignant Top 10. Durant la première semaine après sa sortie, l'album s'est classé premier en Australie, Belgique, Irlande, Pays-Bas et Nouvelle-Zélande. Le groupe a vendu plus de 80 millions d'enregistrements et cinq albums de la bande ont obtenu le statut de multi-platine.

          (La source d'information: here)

Foo Fighters

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Click on the picture for photo credit.

Cliquez sur l'image pour le crédit de photo.

 3. Another thing you can do is going to the music festivals. Personally, I never visit music festivals because I hate sleeping in the tent. But I have the intention to do it someday when I'll have enough of money, a tent and the convenient transportation. The biggest festivals in Latvia are Positivus, Summer Sound, Sunset festival, Piena festival (Milk Festival) and more. I will tell you about Positivus.This year it will happen on 14-16 of July at Salacgriva. The ticket for three days + a camping site costs almost EUR 85. Plus you need your tent or you can rent a ready tent there. Plus you need enough of money for eating and getting to the festival. It means that only for three days you'll spend nearly your whole monthly pay (if you're a student who works part time). And the biggest minus is the Latvian climate that is not good for camping. (It rains a lot). So, I hope I'll visit a festival one day because I love music only not in Latvia

 For more information: https://www.positivusfestival.com/lv/

 3.Une autre chose est les festivals de musique. Personnellement, je n'y vais jamais parce que je déteste dormir dans la tente. Mais j'ai l'intention de le faire une fois quand j'aurai assez d'argent, une tente et le transport confortable. Les plus grands festivals sont Positivus, Summer Sound, Sunset festival, Piena festival(Festival du lait) et plus. Je vais vous raconter de Positivus. Il se passera 14 juillet - 16 juillet a Salacgriva. Le billet pour trois jours et le camping coûte presque 85 EUR. Plus vous avez besoin de votre tente ou vous pouvez louer une tente prête à cet endroit.  De plus, vous avez besoin d'argent pour manger et vous rendre au festival. Cela signifie que dans trois jours vous allez dépenser presque tout votre salaire mensuel (si vous êtes un étudiant qui travaille à temps partiel). Et le plus grand moins est le climat letton qui n'est pas bon pour le camping.(Il pleut beaucoup). Donc j'espère que je vais visiter un festival un jour parce gue j’aime le musique mais pas en Lettonie.

Pour plus d'informations: https://www.positivusfestival.com/lv/

Click on the picture for photo credit.

Cliquez sur l'image pour le crédit de photo.

 4. Another activity that is free is The Riga City Festival aka Riga's Birthday on 18-20 of August. Usually during these days there are a lot of shows, concerts, master classes and other entertainment for free. And at the end of the day there are big fireworks. If to be honest this is my favorite festival because it's free and it is usually warm at that time.

 4. Une autre activité qui est gratuit est Le Festival De La Ville De Riga aussi connu sous le nom L'anniversaire de Riga les 18-20 août. Généralement pendant ces jours il ya beaucoup de spectacles, concerts, cours de maître et autres divertissements gratuitement. Et à la fin il y a des feux d'artifice. Si pour être honnête c'est mon festival préféré parce que tout est gratuit et il est habituellement chaud.

For more information: http://www.rigassvetki.lv/

Pour plus d'informations: http://www.rigassvetki.lv/

 That's it. Start planning your summer on time otherwise it will be boring!

 C'est tout. Commencez à planifier votre été à temps autrement il sera ennuyeux ! 

 P.S. Thanks to my French teacher for this homework!

 P.S. Merci à mon professeur de français pour ce devoir!

Life Guidelines 2017

  Hello, Everybody!
  2016 has taught me a lot. And I wanted to share with you some "life guidelines" I've made for myself and want to live by. I hope this post will help you have a happier life and make wiser decisions. Also I've decided to add a Bible verse for every guideline so you know I have a foundation to say that as well as my life experience. Enjoy your read! Let's dig deeper! :)
1.Give without expecting to receive anything back. "Ship your grain across the sea;  after many days you may receive a return." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
2. Never take anything too seriously. Nothing is permanent. And we will never be able to see the whole image. We see only fragments and can only guess what happens next. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
3. Allow yourself to do what you believe is right to do and not what others expect from you to do. The only thing that is important is what Lord thinks of it. "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)
4. Be always nice to people. You never know how life will turn. You never know how words may affect someone. "Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." (Proverbs 16:24)
5.Being happy is a skill you learn. You have to train this skill to become good at that. It's your choice to enjoy your life and be thankful. “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ( Nehemiah 8:10)
6. Be thankful. There are always some people who don't even have what you have. And also when you stop being thankful it's like the first step DOWN. The beginning of a painful downfall. "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21) & "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

  Have an amazing year 2017!

  God bless you! <3

Fashion Loves 2016

 Hello, Everybody!

 In this post I will share with you my favourite outfits and fashion items that made my 2016 year special. Let's start!

 This dress and a headband were knitted by my Grandmother. The dress is very warm which makes it good for the colder seasons. It has front pockets and is very cosy. :) I got inspired to have my first knitted dress ever by my previous fashion post in October. Do you remember seeing something similar already?

This is where I got the inspiration from.

 The knitted headband looks like a crown because it has a big pearl in the middle of it.

Like that.

 This dress was given to me from my Mother while I was preparing for the school's "Oscar's" party. One of the teachers called it Art Deco style dress. I really like it because the embroidery with glitters makes it very festive. But you have to be very careful with the dress in order not to ruin the glittery part.

This is me wearing that dress to the party.

 As long as I remember me I have always dreamt of a perfect red dress. And this summer I have finally bought one at Terranova which you can wear both everyday and to the parties if you'll add some accessories. It's simple and beautiful. But the material of a dress gets creased easily so you should look after how you move and sit to make it stay smooth all day.

 This skirt was a life saviour when I did not know what to wear. It's also quite festive. Just add any top to that and you're done. It reminds me of spring and when I wear that it always gives me a good mood. :)

 I've bought this one at Stradivarius more that a year ago but I'm not sure if I have shown you it. The dress is amazing and Stradivarius is one of my favourite stores. Between the shades of pink  there is a tiny golden thread that you can't really see in the picture but it's pretty in real life. This dress is also a life saviour. It's comfy and the material is very nice, so I can wear it 24/7.

 These are pyjamas from H&M that I think are really cool because it says "Brunch club". + I prefer to sleep in a long T-shirt better than in a bottom+top pyjamas. It's 65% polyester and 35% cotton if that matters to you. I really like to wake up in it and never want to change it to the normal clothes in the morning. :D It's comfy and I like it.

 This dress I found after my sister has moved away with her husband so I still have not given it back to her because I keep it for one party in 1950's style. I think this dress gives me a lot of joy and this dark blue colour reminds me of the sea and the beach. This is why it deserves to be one of my favourites. It feels like a dress has a happy aura around it.

 This is a top I bought at &M. It's modern classic style and I know it because I work at H&M. I love to wear it with black jeans and I think I look quite business style and at the same time beautiful in it. I also wore  it to one party recently. This golden necklace on it makes it stand out from the rest of my wardrobe.

 This dress is also from H&M and it carries a lot of beautiful memories from summer 2016 which I like. This floral print is everything.

 The thing that makes this dress unique is this fashionable cut out trend. Cut outs are at both sides. You can see them in the picture above. The dress simply radiates summer which makes me very happy and reminds me of the summer sun that I really miss right now.  :)

 I can't believe this post is over. I'd like to go on and on about my Fashion Loves. <3

 Please send me pictures of your fashion loves 2016!

 Love you all,

 xxx