Healthy Lifestyle |

August 19, 2014

Hiking Around Landmannalaugar, Iceland

You know those beautiful photos you see in travel brochures that you spend your working hours daydreaming about? Those pictures that show beaches with stunning blue water and mountains with colors dancing all over them. You can hardly wait to see these places for yourself, but when you finally arrive your left disappointed when the view is not as stunning as the pictures promised.

Well Landmannalaugar is not one of those places! Pictures can not do this place justice, it is beyond beautiful!

As you drive the bumpy gravel road an hour back in between the beautiful mountains you see a range of rich vibrant colors that looked as if they had been painted. When you arrive in the valley you are greeted with dozens of tents set up, people relaxing in the hot spring after a long day of hiking, and an atmosphere that makes you feel like you have just wandered into a small happy community complete with a small shop inside an old school bus.

There are several different hiking trails that you can choice from in the area. We arrived late in the day after our change in plans so we opted to do a quick walk up what is called the Blue Peak.

Do you see the turquoise and blue colors in the mountain? The further up you climb the wider the range of colors you see, from browns to pink, green to black, the colors are stunning. I seriously could not get over the different colors in Landmannalaugar!

Stunning right? Sadly we never made it to the top of this path as the weather began to have other things in mind (like a rain/wind storm), but just in our short climb we were able to see some amazing views. If you only have a short time to spend in the area I recommend choosing this path as it gives you a great view of the whole area.

An added bonus to the beautiful landscape is the adorable furry friends you will find wandering around.

The Icelandic horses are always my favorite, they are so cute and friendly. If you are a horse lover you can even rent horses at Landmannalaugar and go riding on certain trails around the area. H had to drag me away from these guys, I just wanted to take them home with me they were so adorable.

Next time I go to Landmannalaugar I will be pitching my tent in the middle of the camp area and spending my days hiking and my nights soaking in the hot spring!

If you are a hiking enthusiast visit Iceland right now and check out Landmannalaugar!

Question of the Day?
Have you ever been disappointed with a place after seeing pictures? Are you a fan of hiking?

Linking up with Bonnie Rose for Travel Tuesday

posted by Kiki 64 Comments
Filed Under: Healthy Lifestyle, Iceland, Link-Up, Travel, Travel Tuesday Tagged: hiking in Iceland, Iceland, travel, Travel Tuesday

June 30, 2014

School’s Out For Summer!

Happy Monday!

Today is my first day of summer holiday, woo hoo! I can]t beleive I have 5 whole weeks off before it is back to the grind, Icelanders know how to do summer holiday right! With lots happening lately I figured it was a good time for a little check in.

Wearing: jeans and sweaters still! Ugh this weather lately has been very rainy and grey and it is affecting my mood. I need some sunshine and am counting down the days until I will be laying on a sunny beach in Croatia!

Loving: that I am now on summer vacation! I feel like a little kid excited for school to be out so I can sleep in and have no responsibilities.

Needing: a spa day, my nails and eyebrows are in serious need of some pampering.

Eating: at my favorite restaurant in Reykjavik today with two of girlfriends.If you ever in Reykjavik looking for a good lunch spot I highly recommend trying Gló!

Watching: the World Cup. I have joined the bandwagon and am now hooked on the World Cup. Although I am quite glad that there is not three games every single night so now we can watch something else, like my other latest obsession Nashville.

Feeling: loved. Is there anything better than that?

Drinking: iced coffee. I finally bought a coffee filter so I can make iced coffee at home, I missed it so much.

Writing:a list of things I want to accomplish over my summer holiday. Lots of writing and crafts are on the schedule!

Training: for another half marathon this August. I almost signed up for the full marathon but H talked some sense into me before I made that decision. Traveling for most of the month before a marathon isn’t exactly the best way to train for one, next year though it is on my to do list.

Wanting: to go on a major shopping spree. Not buying anything new for almost 9 months can really make you start to resent those two bags of clothes you moved with.

Missing: sunny days and warm nights. It is great having the beautiful midnight sun but I really miss those lazy summer nights sitting under the stars.

Wondering: how I got so lucky with my job and co-workers. It isn’t easy being the only English person in the office but my co-workers always make me feel welcomed and comfortable. Having friends in your co-workers really makes work that much better.

Looking: up things I want to do and see in Croatia. I am getting so excited for our trip, only two more weeks!

Thinking: that H and I have totally different ideas when it comes to interior design. For the most part we have been able to come up with a great comprise but at the moment we are currently having a photo wall design battle and I am not feeling his idea. Oh grownup life.

Reading: my NASM textbook. I only have a few more months before my personal trainer certification exam and I have really been slacking on my studying. Time to kick it into gear and get my study on.

Laughing: at the skype conversation I had with my family yesterday. No matter how far away I am they can always make me laugh.

Wishing: my family could come visit me this summer. I can’t wait for the day they visit so I can some them all over my new home.

Dreaming: of a new camera. Sadly this won’t happen until I go home this Christmas but until then I will keep dreaming about all the beautiful photos of Iceland I will be able to take with a proper camera. Any camera recommendations from my fellow bloggers out there?

Anticipating: tomorrow’s Travel Tuesday linkup. I am looking forward to reading everyone’s post about their travel style, don’t forget to link up with us!

Question of the Day?
What are you looking forward to in July? Any summer holiday plans?

posted by Kiki 44 Comments
Filed Under: Daily Diaries, Family, Friends, Healthy Lifestyle, Iceland, Loving Lately, My Thoughts Tagged: Life Lately, Summer Vacation

March 23, 2014

Easy Almond Butter Recipe

Part of being an expat is that you miss certain comforts from home. Trader Joe’s is one of those comforts I dearly miss, that place is my food heaven. I love nut butters and Trader Joe’s Almond Butter is the jam, I dream about it all the time.

While searching the stores in Iceland I have only found almond butter once or twice with the price tag of $15 or more for a tiny jar, ya not happening. Enter in a food processor for Christmas and I am back in almond butter business.

This is such a simple recipe with just one star ingredient and an endless variety of versions depending on what you want to add in. I prefer just plain almond butter but it is easy to add in whatever you would like when the almonds are blending. For my batch this was what I did.

Place 2 cups of raw almonds on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes to give them a bit of a roasted taste and to speed up the blending process.

Once the almonds are out of the oven put them straight into the food processor while they are still warm. In the food processor use your S blade to blend the almonds.

Now all that is left to do is be patient and wait. It can vary depending on how large of a batch you are making and how powerful your food processor is but I promise even when it seems hopeless the almonds will magically turn into a creamy delicious butter.

After about 10 minutes the almonds go from a fine powder to a thicker dough type shown in the top right picture.

Another 5 minutes and the almonds turn into a thick crumbly dough shown on the bottom right picture

Once you see this smooth consistency you know your almond butter is ready to enjoy.

I love using my almond butter with my morning oatmeal, with a banana for a snack, or just straight from the jar, either way its delicious and full of healthy fats that will keep you full.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as I do. If you feel like experimenting try adding in some maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, or whatever creative creation may come to mind. Enjoy and get your snack on!

Question of the Day?
Are you a nut butter fan? If yes what kind, peanut, almond, cashew??

posted by Kiki 15 Comments
Filed Under: Cooking, Healthy Lifestyle, Recipes Tagged: Cooking, eatting clean, Healthy living, Recipe

January 23, 2014

5 Lessons I Learned From Running a Mud Run

If you haven’t already done so I highly recommend signing up for a mud run this year! I have done three mud runs so far and have had such a blast each time. I think H and I need to plan an Icelandic mud run for this summer, these Icelanders need to experience this muddy fun!

During these three mud runs I have learned a lesson or two in mastering the art of “mud running” (not sure if this is a real term but it is now). To share my wisdom here is 5 lessons I learned from mud running, hopefully it will help you in your future mud run.

1. Costumes help you run better, its a fact
Trust me there is no holding back to your costume ideas when it comes to these races. I have seen some awesome outfits from girls running in wedding dresses to H running in superman underwear, it all goes. One thing is for sure though you don’t want to be the one without a costume, when in doubt just throw a tutu on it.

2. Running with friends is way better than running alone

3. Bring a strong friend to help pull you out of the mud pits
I know this looks like an easy thing to do but trust me when your weighed down in mud and trying to climb out on a slippery muddy hill it is no easy task. If your a badass though and much stronger than me those strong friends can be useful for fancy poses after the race.

4.Something about falling in a mud pit will make you will suffer from uncontrollable laughter
And probably mud in your mouth, eyes, ears, pants…you get the idea.