Lego has teamed up with Ikea to give birth to the imagination of kids and big people together.

And these magic-filled boxes have become our Louis’ favorite toy. What do you mean, no? I went back to my childhood, did you know that my mother brought me a box of legos, the cheapest ones, whenever I got sick? It seemed like it would help me get better. 🙂

Legos are the best invention ever to increase our creativity without a shadow of a doubt.

And truth be told, they are a great help to be independent and unresnated into adulthood 😀

Have you got your BYGGLEK yet? 😀

*this post is not sponsored*

I grew up near the beach. Pedrinhas beach. When I was little, I loved to catch shells and whelks, they were my summer treasures. And Louis likes to do it 🙂

Walking on the wet sand, while the seawater bathes my feet, and going collecting little shells and pebbles relaxes me so much, and it's also the things that Louis likes to do 🙂 Messing with the sand or the rocks, exploring, does you really good 🙂

And then we came home and did this DIY to later remember 🙂

What do you think? 😉 Do you like doing things like that? 🙂

Cornwall. A little big paradise in the south of England. We went by mini-holidays and we already miss our corner by the sea planted. Blue-Green-Sea. Relaxing landscapes and holding your breath. We really needed this. 🙂 4 days of mini-holidays and retreat.

We stayed in a country tourism house, the so-called lodges as they say here, in a small town called Bude in Kilkhampton. I'd rather stay in a house than a hotel. It's more intimate and personal, unlike hotels. And it did us so well that even Louis' potty training worked a thousand wonders. We were lucky to be a pet friendly site so we can take our Ginger with us who also behaved beautifully. 🙂 Sense us at home 🙂

Marhamchurch – Widemouth Bay

How rich prainha. Even with covert weather i knew really well walking on the wet sand and smelling the sea. And Louis once again loved playing with pebbles and chins.

A breathtaking view, which makes you want to stay here forever 🙂

Forrabury and Minster – Slaughter Bridge

Then we head to the site of the Legend of King Arthur. Who doesn't know the famous story of the Sword Excalibur? Louis felt like a king in the small amusement park at the Arthurian Centre. We took a short walk until we reached the famous stone and really knew how to feel the peace and peace of Mae Natureza. It is a beautiful and very relaxing place where we can listen to the waters of the Camel River and enjoy the gardens of Lady Charlotte Falmouth.

On Saturday we went to Bodmin where we visited Cornwall's largest church, St Petroc's Church. We had lunch in the center of town and then we went for a walk in a park, where Louis befriended a squirrel to whom he gave the rest of his apple, and after that we returned to the place where we were happy and I already here in this post.

About the magical site of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic where Louis was delighted with the tasty cornwall ice creams, and we grown-ups also 🙂 What fascinated me most was the way people let themselves be taken to the picturesque village of Boscastle and come back all the time. If I could, I'd move to this place today that you call me so naturally. Who says witches are bad? I feel like half a witch myself sometimes. If not almost always 😀 Fear of the unknown doesn't watch me. 🙂 I love everything that's related to the world of magic. I think if I'd lived in the Middle Age, I'd have been burned at the stake, maybe I'd even go to anyone who believes in reincarnation 🙂

In the middle we console ourselves with the traditional pasties, the typical pastel pasteis stuffed with, meat, cheese and onion or potato. A curiosity: did you know that these pasteis were created as a marmite for men to go to work for the field? And the edges of the dough did not eat because they were only used for men to hold the pastel with dirty hands.

We also ate the famous Fish and chips that we knew even perhaps because we were closer to the 😀 Did you know that this meal originated in Portuguese in the early 16th century?

And of course, I had to try the famous Cream Tea, a variant of afternoon tea, typical and originating from this 🙂

They were wonderful days in this little paradise in the south-west of England, from which we didn't want to go out and we'll go back 🙂

And so we ended a different but very intense summer 🙂

Even in pandemic weather, we were able to take a few days to safely recharge to reset 🙂

And on the return trip the GPS made us this surprise to escape the traffic: We passed through Stonehenge

Did you feel like visiting? 🙂

How were your vacations? 🙂

… return to work, return to school, to jobs, to routine. Although we live uncertain times, we must continue to live in this "new state" of things.

They say the best comes last, and this is because my favorite time of the year is the last 4 months, September for being the mes of return, October because of autumn, its colors, pumpkin pies and Halloween, November for cold nights nestled in a blanket in the sofa watching movies and series, while the rain falls outside and preparations for the magic season of December , Christmas. It's so good.

And you guys, you like this last period of the year, too? What do you like most about this height? 🙂

Michelle Obama Podcast. yes, Michelle has a podcast and I'm 🙂

I've been telling you how much I admire this woman. I identify as much as Michelle thinks. And I like it so much. After the book Becoming, and the documentary with the same name that I loved, here comes the podcast with delicious conversations about the current affairs, human relationships, feminine health, family friendship. The episodes last for almost an hour but I always feel like more and I look forward to the next episode.

*The first episode was attended by her husband, Barack Obama, where they spoke about the current situation of the country and its responsibilities to the community in which they are inserted. A very normal couple who were once the most important in america and the world. What I like most about them is the natural way they talk to each other, tell stories about how they met, their marriage and their family.

In the second episode, Michelle invites her friend Michelle Norris, the well-known award-winning journalist to talk about the Pandemic and the protests experienced in the US.

*In the third episode, the theme is female health, with the title "What your mother never told you about health" with Dr. Sharon Malone. A very important topic that women of all ages, mothers, daughters, grandparents, best friends, should listen to.

And in the fourth episode, the conversation is with Michelle's older brother, Craig Robinson, a delightful conversation where they talk about their childhood and have grown up together in South Chicago. If you enjoyed the conversation with Barack, you can't miss this one.

In the fifth episode, we have a girl talk. This is one of my favorites, where Michelle invites three very dear friends with whom she shares stories from her early days in Washington 14 years ago.

*In the sixth episode, the guest is celebrated presenter and comedian Conan O'Brien, where they talk about the challenges and joys of marriage with great humor to the mix. I've come to the conclusion that the secret to a relationship is in the mood, right, Rui Moreira? 😉 Because if we don't take things back alittle, believe me, nothing works…

These conversations are so delicious that They want to join 🙂

Did you know him?

… influencers. Nowadays people have a tool on the internet, a very strong weapon. For good and for bad. And many times people do not mean it when they are suggesting something just because they like it (I speak against myself, because sometimes I find myself unconsciously suggesting something without knowing if people will like it). I like to share things I like without wanting to influence anyone, because I know that we all have different tastes or we are not all that … many different. My mother always told me not to be “Maria goes with the others” or else, I always wondered if others were going to throw in the sea, would I also want to go?

But what is too much is exaggeration, and I start to get tired of so many people influencing what to eat, what to wear, where to go, what to do … it seems that they are imposing their lives on others. I like to live my / our life without satisfying anyone. I like to be happy in my / our way. 🙂

Now here in England the government created the maxim with the hashtag #eatouthelpout as a way to help the hospitality sector (these governors know a lot), something that we always did in full lockdown through take-away, we don’t need fashions now, just because everyone is doing … and what I find most incredible, is that they created this campaign with the virus still out there … all for the sake of the economy. 🙁 I’m not against it, the world has to continue but I think we should be more cautious because the virus has not yet disappeared. It seems that people from one moment to the next have already been vaccinated, with no vaccine yet … 🙁

Nowadays people expose everything on social networks, an example of that, on another day a girl I follow here from the neighboring city posted on instagram stories that on a Saturday morning, she was all proud because she had showered and changed her bed clothes , things that I find very natural to do without feeling the need to share with the rest of the world … Is it just me who think this is futility and a way to get attention? … 🙁

I wonder, if there were no social networks what would be the lives of these people? How would they exercise the power to influence others?

Son, this is going so fast, well my gut warned me that this was going to happen. You're no longer our baby, and I think that's the part that's costing us the most. You're still the biggest challenge of my life. Every day I prove it. Your personality is getting stronger and stronger. Every day you challenge me and put me to the test. Like saying, go, you can do it, you can do it. Forgive me for the lack of patience sometimes, but you know this mother-of-the-match thing doesn't come with an instruction manual. But believe me, I'm doing my best, inspired by you. 🙂

You were the best gift life ever gave us, it was a dream come true 🙂

Thank you, my dear 🙂 I love you very much and believe me that I will continue to do everything to make you happy 🙂

Keep the CBeebies video that shows the congratulations card we made for Louis… have a little patience because it is the last, but as they say the latter are always the first hehe 😀

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/birthdays-on-cbeebies

"Let's delete our history so people can make the same mistakes again"

This was bristol artist Banksy's response to the vandalized statues, after this one below, a week ago, about the bml demonstrations.

Don't you think the artist's idea makes a lot more sense? 🙂

"What should we do with the empty pedestal in the middle of Bristol?

Here's an idea that fits both those who lose the Colston statue and those who don't
. We dragged him out of the water, put him back on the pedestal, tied a cable around his neck and ordered some life-size bronze statues of protesters in the act of pulling him down. Everybody happy. A famous day celebrated."

But after all, who's Banksy? There are many theories and one of them is that the artist is a group of people, in which one of them is one of the elements of the band Massive Attack, and this is the theory that makes more sense to me.

If you haven't seen this documentary about "the artist," I recommend you do it 😉

The Andreia blog The Drawers of My Enchanted House had the idea and I was eager to respond, because the cause is very noble in order to celebrate the Day of the English Author.

But i apologize for not being able to read most of the books on my list. Not only for lack of time but also being outside Portugal and being more difficult to get the works I intend to read. But I believe I will succeed, even because now I have the help of a kindle, offer of the hubby, and so it is easier to read Portuguese works. I'll talk about this new acquisition later.

=CATEGORIES=

PORTO – An author who has never read, but who is on your list: Miguel Esteves Cardoso: I really want to read this collection of the author. 🙂 Miguel Esteves Cardoso has no popes in his tongue and writes with soul and maybe that's why i'm so interested. I hope that you will never tire of writing and that inspiration will never fail you to the last breath, and that it will be many, many years from now.

AVEIRO – A book to live in: Our Kingdom of Valter Hugo Mother: While reading this story, I found myself in my childhood at the home of parents and grandparents. I went back in time. And it was nice and funny. The characters reminded me of my grandmothers and aunts, who whenever they passed the cross of Christ bless themselves. 🙂

You can read the review of this book here.

COIMBRA – A book by your favorite author: The Formula of God by Jose Rodrigues dos Santos: I like books that make me think, and this one enlightened me so much but so much. I can't get enough of recommending it.

ERICEIRA – A book that transports you to an area of the country you like: The Formula of God that transports us to the beauty of Coimbra

GUIMARÃES – A book that should have a film adaptation: Undecided between Our Kingdom of Valter Hugo Mãe and The Formula of God by Jose Rodrigues dos Santos. Because they teleported me to their stories, it was like I was part of them, so I think they'd make good movies.

SINTRA – A book of poetry: Sonnets by Luis Vaz de Camões. The greatest poet Portuguese. It's always inspired me for poetry and continues to inspire. This poem continues to make a lot of sense in these times.

Times change, you change your wills

You change the times, you change your wills,
You change the being, you change the confidence;
The whole world is composed of change,
Always taking new qualities.

We continually see news,
Different in everything from hope;
From evil are the sorrows in the memory,
And for good, if any, the longings.

The weather covers the floor with green mantle,
That already covered was cold snow,
And in me the sweet singing is weeping.

And aside from this moving every day,
Another change makes of chief amazement:
That you don't move the way you sound.

BRAGANÇA – The first author you read: Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen: The Girl of the Sea, The Oriana Fairy, The Knight of Denmark are books that have marked me a lot because they taught me to read, to dream even more and to give wings to my imagination. Have you read any of these?

GAIA – A children's book: Collection An Adventure of Ana Maria Magalhães and Isabel Alçada: I read the whole collection in a summer of my adolescence, I enjoyed traveling with the 5 characters and the two dogs through our beautiful country and learned so much from them.

LISBON – A book that mentions other artistic expressions: Affectively – GNR: this band brings me such good memories. Every time I hear it, I get carried away until the end of my teenage years. Pronounced do Norte always transports me to the city of Porto, Mentally i walk the Dom Luis bridge to Ribeira, losing me with the beautiful landscape of the city. Occult Blood makes me dance and sing as if there was no tomorrow and Dunas takes me to the beach of Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen and Eça de Queiroz, the Beach of Granja. I really have to read this book suffers the History of the first Portuguese rock band.

BRAGA – A book set in your favorite season: The Fabric of autumn by Alçada Baptista – another book to add to my readings. I've never read anything from this author but the synopsis caught my eye.

Philip had married Matilde at a young age, but had never been able to classify their relationship. At the age of thirty she meets Barbara, a woman who shares with her the unceasing search for the sphere of the divine. With it lives a strong passion guided, however, by fatalism. Only then, hurt, rediscovers Matilde, also now with some scars …

ÓBIDOS – The book with the most beautiful cover: My 💙 only has one color joana marques – Another book that tells me a lot and for having lived all the emotions that Joana speaks in the book. I am very proud of all the victories and glories that my/our F.C. port gave me over these 30 years. And not on purpose, our Louis today woke up to sing the whole anthem of our club 🙂

Extra category created by me as requested by Andreia - SÃO MIGUEL – AÇORES – A character: I spoke of this book here I liked the character of Guidinha Caderninho, perhaps for having identified me a lot with her when I was little.

The review is here.

Since I apologize once again if I have been repetitive in the choices, but both the Formula of God and Our Kingdom are books that tell me a lot, I hope you understand as well as the number of books read being much lower than the book of books I want to read. I'm sorry, honey, Andreia. ❤️

And you, who are your favorite Portuguese authors? Do you have a lot of books to read? 🙂