Friday TOP 5

Best winter hand creams

Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Hand Cream - A soothing, pistachio - scented hand cream. This is super hydrating, deeply penetrating scented cream comforts and soothes hands, leaving my skin moisturized and velvety soft. Creme de Pistache inspired by the creamy and nutty aromas of pistachio desserts, is a decadent blend of gourmand ingredients with a combination of almond, praline and hazelnut nuances. I bought it for about 18 EUR, which is pretty expensive for hand cream, that's why it's my luxurious hand treatment, not daily.

Fluffy Bunny Shea butter Hand Cream. This Shea butter whip is a tube of comfort. This light and somehow fluffy scent swirl me into a dreamlike state. It has a mint julep and a hint of lavender mixed so well balanced. It is fresh but uplifting, delicious and elegant at the same time. This is great for my extremely dry skin with butters and Vitamin E. It leaves my hands so soft, but I have to say a little bit greasy also. I bought it for 9 EUR, which also isn't cheap.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream is super smoothing. It contains 20% shea butter, honey and almond extracts. It has a light jasmine and ylang-ylang aroma which I adore. It is tho most expensive hand cream I ever had, but it is WORTH it!!!!! It was about 30EUR but it smells amazing, it miraculously absorbing into the skin, it protects my dry and dehydrated skin soo well.

The Body Shop Almond Hand & nail Cream is cheap and quite greasy, but somehow it becomes to be my daily go to hand cream, maybe it is because it costs about 5 EUR and cares for nails as well as hands and contains almond oil and panthenol, it is very moisturizing with sweet almond scent. It is just a simple good smelling hand cream :)

Stenders Cranberry Hand Cream - I'm proud to use this, this is produced in Latvia :). It is an intensive, nourishing and protective hand cream for sensitive and dry, dehydrated skin. It absorbed quickly ang lightly, pampering my cracked skin. It was 13.90 EUR at Stenders cosmetic home page and I can highly suggest You to buy one. It smells light but noticeable.

Have You found Your best winter hand cream?

What's on my Android phone

1. This icon shows that I do have an alarm ( For me it is impossible to get out of bed without alarm :D )
2. Shows that I use WiFi - I always using WiFi when it is possible, because I don't see the point to use phone net, because it is slower and pretty expensive, and in Latvia You basically can find WiFi anywhere).
3. Shows that my operator serving 3G in this area.
4. Battery usage in %
5. Battery usage level ( for me this icon is pointless, but I don't know how to get rid of ir. If You know, please, comment below)
6. Clock :)
7. Google search - I use this very often, I think it is useful when you want to find out any fact.
8. My Bank - this has a great function - you can set amount of money you can see by only clicking on app - so you always know that on your account isn't less money than amount you set, but no one else  know's how much there is.
9. Clock again, bigger and more comfortable to use.
10. Date - since I don't have a daily job it  useful, because I lost date quit easy :D
11. My social media folder
12. Gallery
13. Settings
14. E-mails
15. Phone
16. SMS
17. Home button
18. Contacts
19. Internet

20.  My facebook - if You want to follow me its - https://www.facebook.com/lauma.steinharde

21. My instagram - @STEINHARDLIVE

22. Facebook messenger for more comfortable socializing with Facebook friends

23. Twitter - @steinhardlive

24 - My tumblr 

25. Unfollowers app - have not use it since downloaded :D

26. Bloglovin - best app for bloggers - if You want to follow me here is link - https://www.bloglovin.com/people/steinhard-6963037

27. Etsy - my etsy shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/LaumasShop

28. Gmail - it is my private e-mail

29. Android mail - it is my Etsy e - mail.

30. School numbers - I'm obsessed with this app. I really suggest you to try it :)

31. Photo Editor - I promise I will try this app :D

32. Doulingo - great app - I'm learning German with this. It is easy and fun to learn with this app.

33. Waze - I'm not the best driver, that's why I use wave to concentrate on a driving not to think about where I have to drive :)

34. Public transport app - I'm using public transport on a daily bases so this app is must for me.

35. Polaris office - to open Word or Excel, PDF documents on a phone and edit them.

36. Candy Crush soda to kill some time :)

37. Delfi - local news app.

38. Daily yoga - I've been quite obsessed with yoga last time, but I don't feel it's something bad :D

40. Spotify

41. Ebay

42. Sims - downloaded this inspired by Alfie and Zoella Sims series but somehow never opened it :D

43. Sleep Bot - best alarm ever!!!

What's your favourite apps?

Liguria

Liguria is an Italian wine region located in the northwest region of Italy along the Italian Riviera. It is bordered by the Piedmont wine region to the north, the Alps and French wine region of Provence to the west.

Liguria has several Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) regions with the most notable being:

• Cinque Terre DOC - The DOC was granted in 1973 and production is limited to the coastal areas of the Cinque Terre. The wine is produced from a must containing at least 40% of the Bosco grape( 11.11.2015.), But may also contain up to 40% of Albarola and/or Vermentino (8.07.2015.) and up to 20% of other wine - berried grapes approved for the Province of La Spezia. These wines tend to be dry, with straw yellow colour, and a delicate aroma. Typically, it is best drunk with the local cuisine, and especially with seafood.
• Dolceacqua - producing wine from the indigenous Rossese grape.
• Colli di Luni DOC - located in both Liguria and Tuscany in northwest Italy. This DOC produces both reds and white wines made primarily from Sangiovese (23.09.2015.) and Vermentino(8.07.2015.).
• Colline di Levanto DOC - produces both red and white wines primarily from Sangiovese and Vermentino.Any grapes destined for this DOC wine production in Colline di Levanto must be harvested to a yield no greater than 1 tonnes/hectare with the finished wines needing to attain a minimum alcohol level of at least 11%.

Weather You are student, in the work field, or have a family of your own, life can be a bit stressful! I do eliminate the stress and time of having to cook every single night by meal prepping! Why? Because it saves me time and helps track with healthy eating.

I usually do prep my meals for the week! But what exactly is meal prepping? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, don't worry - back in 2014 I didn't also :D

Basically this means cooking items in bulk and eating leftovers :)

Before starting meal prepping please learn from my mistakes:

• Have 5x7 tupperware or so containers. I suggest You to buy 7 breakfast containers. Buy them similar size, shape and color to know exactly - this is breakfast. The same instruction for other meals. You need bigger containers for morning and smaller for evening meals.
• Plan - Plan your meals the day before shopping all products. I usually plan friday and spend all saturday morning at farmer's market.
• Try plant based proteins - beans, edamame, tofu...
• Don't forget - there is no rules - be healthy and make anything you like and how you like.

Nice appetite!

P.S. If You are interested in my meal prepping process or my go to recipes please feel free to comment and I will do my best :) 

The Piedmonte Region

If You are trying to get a deeper understanding of Italian wine, Piedmont is one of the most useful wine regions to get to know. It is one of the most famous regions in Italy for wine. When people think of Piedmont, they usually imagine Barolo or Barbaresco, but in truth, they both only account for 3-5% of Piedmont's production, there's quite a bit more to uncover.

Piemonte is the range of Italian wines made in the province of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. region is located in the foothills of the Alps forming it's border with France and Switzerland. Although the winemaking regions of the Piedmont and Bordeaux are very close in latitude, only the summertime temperature are similar - the Piemonte wine region had a colder, continental winter climate, and significantly lower rainfall due to the rain shadow effect of the Alps.

As in most of Italy, native wines are abundant in the land that the Ancient Greeks called Oenotria and was subsequently cultivated by the Romans. During the Risorgimento of the 19th century, many Piemontese winemakers and landowners played a pivotal role. The famous Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi was a winemaker who in the 1850s introduced the use of Bordeaux mixture.

The best known wines from region include Barolo ( Blog post on 30.09 ) and Barbaresco ( Blog post on 7.10). They are made from the Nebbiolo ( Blog post on 14.10.) grape. These wines are ideal for storage.

Other popular grapes used for red wine production in region is Barbera( Blog post on 21.12.) and Dolcetto ( Blog post on 28.10.). 

The sparkling wine Asti Spumante is made from Moscato ( Blog post on 4.11. ) grape. The majority of the area's winemaking take places in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria.

The Piedmont produces more DOC wines by volume than any other Italian wine region with nearly 84% of all the areas wine production falling under a DOC designation. 

While Turin is the capital of the Piedmont, Alba and Asti are the heart of the region's wine industry.

Let's have a nice glass of some Piemonte wine and have a nice evening :)

The Valle d'Aosta DOC ( Denominazione di origine controlla) is located in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy. Surrounded by the alps, the Valle d'Aosta is home to highest elevated vineyards in all Europe. The principal winemaking region of the Valle d'Aocta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea river.

Like most of Italy, the wine history of this mountainous region goes back to at least the Roman times. By the end of 1800's there were more than three thousand hectares under vines.

The area of the Aosta valley has continental climate and despite its location in the Alps region The weather is typically very hot and dry in the summer time which tends to put harvesting in early September. The geography of the wine regions is marked by high, steep slopes leading to the river valley which makes the use of mechanical equipment impossible.

The wine making region of the Valle d"Aosta is generally divided into three areas:

• Courmayeur is home o highest elevated vineyards at 3,900 feet above sea level. The white grame known as Blanc de Morgex is the main production grape in the area and is used to produce also sparkling wine. 

The central valley is most productive area and is further sub-divided into four areas:

• Enfer d'Arvier - red wine producing area around the village of Arvier. The wines from this area are blends made primarily from the Petit Rouge grape with lesser amounts of Dolcetto, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot Noir ar Vien de Nus. Previously Enfer d'Arvier had it's own DOC.
• Torrette
• Nus
• Chambave

Other DOC wines in the Valle d'Aosta can be varietally labeled as long as it contains at least 90% from Chardonnay, Fumin, Gamay, Petite Arvine, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Petit Rouge or Premetta grapes.

Award!

Thank You Oksana Poli For nominating me!!!! It feels so good that I'm not the only one who likes my blog :)
I am very happy that I was nominated, biggest thank You Oksana :)

The Versatile Blogger award rules are:

• Show the award on your blog
• Thank the person who nominated you
• Share seven random facts about yourself
• Nominate 15 blogs
• Link the blogs you nominated and let them know

Random facts about me:

1. I do love to read, the latest favorite book are "Game of thrones"
2. I do like to study, yesterday I graduated my Business owner course and I feel so proud of myself :D I was making business plan for my Etsy shop: Lauma's Shop
3. I'm lactose intolerant
4. I live in Latvia and I'm very proud of my country.
5. I wish I will start my YouTube channel this year
6. I never had fake tan
7. I was graduated Jewelry school 

Blogs I nominate:

1. Lil Ashton
2. Duriska
3. A Classic Notion
4. A Little Opulent
5. A Pinch of Jasmine
6. All that's Glittered
7. Baby Rebel
8. Blondxzilla
9. Classic White Milkshake
10. Byrdie.com
11. Emma Louise
12. Essie Button
13. Eyelashan
14. TheGuruJay.com
15. Jessa Olson

I suggest you to follow all these blog and read them, they all are inspiring and written by really talented persons.

Thank You for stopping by <3