http://bycelina.com

Oh my, I am soo full!! My mum has made so much food and it’s so delicious it’s hard to stop! We went for a little walk after brunch to help the food digest and I brought the camera with to show you a few snapshots of the Norwegian Christmas ambience :)

Festive glitter nails!!! :D #loveit

Linus the reindeer…. :)

We have so much snow and Linus is absolutely loving it! I managed to capture his first meeting with snow, and it’s so adorable!! I will share more later on, now I need to be a little social as I don’t see my family too often. I hope you’re all enjoying Christmas to the fullest no matter where and with you are with <3

Lots of love xx

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The last day of the Christmas calendar has come and I’ve saved the best prize for last. Today you can win one full set of hair extensions from my favourite hair extension brand, Locks & Bonds! The prize has a value of up to a whopping $200 depending on what type of hair extensions you choose, woohooo ho ho ho!! You can choose from:

1.) Single Strand Micro Ring/Beads I-Tips for “no glue extensions”

2.) Seamless Tape Extensions (Locks&Bonds’ favorite. “So comfortable, bar none! We are all wearing these here at L&B”)

3.) Clip-In Extensions + Quad Clip (180 grams of hair) (My favourite, I have written more about it below)

Locks & Bonds offer a wide selection of colours and styles so you can be sure to find hair that suits your colour and needs whether it’s to make your own hair fuller or longer. They supply both salons and individuals, and their average delivery time to Europe is only 3-5 business days.

Until I found Locks & Bonds I always had such problems finding hair of the same colour as mine as it’s natural blonde and lighter in the ends, but Locks&Bonds had a great selection so I found hair that mixes perfectly in with mine and not even my boyfriend can tell when in it’s in or not :) I use the clip ins, and I have the colour 60/24 – Sandy Blonde, a full set + quad clip :) Found here, review here and worn here, here, here, here and here :D LOVE it!!

To win a full set of hair extensions of your own choice, you need to:

1.) “Like and Share” the L&B facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/locksandbonds where you will also be informed of all other contests, give-aways, and sales.

2.) Leave a comment on this post with the item you would like to win. You may also simply paste the URL of the item in the comment section if you like, but should also be specific about color etc

Make sure you fill in the comment form with the email address you would like to be contacted with should you be the very lucky winner!! :D

Best of luck and a very merry Christmas, I hope you’re all having a very lovely day today!! xx

EDIT: The contest runs until 23.30 Dec 27th :D

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Winner is Cassie!!! Congratulations, you won a full set of hair extensions!! Weeee :) Locks&Bonds will contact you regarding details :)

Thank you everyone for participating! <3

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For many Christmas is all about family time, but for others Christmas can be a very lonely time. Whether it’s loss of family members, a personal choice of an isolated path or distances to loved ones, feeling lonely in this family oriented time can be incredibly tough. Look within you for strength and try to ask yourself what you should do to avoid feeling low. Volunteering to help others at one of the many centres set up for the homeless at Christmas might make both yourself and others feel better, and you are sure to find others who feel just the same as you. You are never alone about feeling lonely during Christmas so don’t sit alone ♥

I once celebrated Christmas in Mexico away from both family and friends, and even though I was on a beach and it was my own choice it was… quite lonely. It’s times like these we learn to appreciate those around us and be grateful for the little things it’s easy to overlook. It gives us character ;)

Finally, remember that everything will pass. Nothing stays the same, life moves on and it’s the worst moments that make us grow, spiritually and emotionally. The low points are always balanced by higher ones. When you are low, joy is always just around the corner.

All my best wishes goes out to those of you who feel lonely!! xx

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The winner of todays Christmas contest is Silje M!!! Congratulations, you won £50 to spend on what ever you want in In Love With Fashion!! :) The code to use to get 25% off was of course BYCELINA25, and it’s valid until 1st of February 2013 :)

Thank you all for participating in the calendar. We only have one day left now, so be sure to check in tomorrow to have a chance of winning the biggest prize yet :D

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Last chance to win a gift card of £50 with LOVE which is the best selling concession in Topshop and is seen on various celebrities and bloggers. The brand offers high trend items at a low cost, and never mass produce which means chances are small you’ll bump into someone wearing the same as you. They are especially great on dresses, and offer a variety of styles.

To win a gift card of £50 to be spent on what ever makes your heart beat faster leave a comment on this post including:

1. What code you can use to get 25% off. (hint: you can find the answer in the previous post about LOVE)
2. A link to your favourite item in the shop.

I will hold all the comments until tonight so you don’t have a chance of cheating ;)

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Gingerbread Eiffel Tower // New Rolex watch and bracelet // Linus is hanging out with the Santas // Fireplace for ambience and atmosphere

Hey you ♥

Ah, the last few days before Christmas is so magical! I’m really starting to get really into the Christmas spirit having had traditional Norwegian Christmas foods including my favourite “lussekatter” which is buns made with saffron, so yummy! They’re not gluten and dairy free though so after only having had one my tummy acted up telling me off for it, but I really enjoyed it :D

I’m sorry I don’t have any proper photos from today, I’ve been running around with my beautiful pregnant sister trying to finish all the Christmas presents while my mum has been baby sitting Linus. She is so cute, I can hear her all the time telling him to come to “mormor” (grandma) to get some delicious little treats – he’s trained her well ;) I’m planning on unpacking the camera tomorrow so hopefully I will have some photos of the very white and beautiful Norway then. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve already seen my new watch, but I’m so in love with it I had to share it here as well :D My mum is the best ♥

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Winner of todays Christmas Calendar Contest is Marie N! Congratulations, Marie!! Her favourite skin care product is the Truth Serum collagen booster by Ole Henriksen and she says “This one makes my skin glow!”. It’s now 30% off, and you can get it here. You’ve got mail, Marie :)

Hope you’ve had a lovely Saturday and “bitte lille julaften” :)

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BeautyExpert offers effective and luxurious ranges of brands from the most prestigious salons, spas and cosmetic houses around the globe. You can be sure to find something that brings some luxury to your everyday life :)

To win a gift card of £75 to be spent on what ever your heart desires all you need to do is:

1. Leave a comment with a link to your favourite skincare product in beautyexpert
2. Follow me on Bloglovin – here

Good Luck, and Merry Christmas!!

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Hi everyone,

Phuh, this has been such a long day! We, Linus and I, left home at 10 this morning, had a stop over in Copenhagen and finally arrived at 19.30. A trip that only takes 3 hours during summer. Although long it was still a really great day! Whilst checking in at the airport in Nice I ran into my old neighbour who was also my best friend when I lived in Sweden. Her boyfriend has a house in the south of France so next time they go they will come visit us and I can’t wait! Although we have seen eachother since I moved from Sweden, it’s been far too long and we have so much catching up to do!! It was of course also really lovely to see my mum again, she is the most incredible person I know ♥ I’m so happy I get to see her every day this week :D

Today was actually Linus’ first meeting with snow, and he LOVED it. He rolled in it, ate it and jumped into it – it was such a lovely sight!I haven’t had time to snap any photos yet, but I just wanted to say hello and announce the winner of todays contest so I attached a photo I took of Linus just before we left instead :) I will respond to all your comments on the previous post tomorrow, either before or after the last bit of Christmas shopping will be done ;)

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The winner of todays Christmas Calendar contest is……. Beatrice! Congratulations, Beatrice, you’ve won the beautiful limited edition leather satchel!! The answer to how long The Leather Satchel Company have been hand-crafting leather satchels was since 1966 – pretty awesome! They are the original company behind the leather satchels and the company who offers the best quality satchels on the market! Yay :D

Hope you’ve had an amazing day!! xx

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Some of you have asked if I can share some tips about exercise and healthy eating and I feel so flattered so many of you value my opinion on this. I will say straight away that there are most definitely other people out there that know more about this than I do but of course I am more than happy to share :)

How to start running

This year I started running, and I too was completely out of breath after 5 minutes in the beginning, and I hated it. The solution for me was to get up in the mountains and alternate between walking and jogging along the trail with some good music in my ears. The steep hills made my thighs much stronger and eventually my breath got better as well. When I started both feeling and seeing results I was hooked! I walked/jogged about 3-4 times a week for about 90 minutes each time. I walked/jogged to a point which was about 45 minutes away form my home, sat down and did some rock lifting, and then I walked/jogged home again.

If you don’t live nearby a mountain you would get the same results by running a track including lots of steps, both up and down. You should aim to jog to a point which is about 45 minutes away from your home, because as you have to get home again you would be sure to get your full 90 minutes. You should also get yourself some Nike shoes with a nike+ chip inside to track your progress. If you do more walking than jogging that’s ok, getting out there is what matters. JUST DO IT!

How to run without having to stop

When the walk/jog evolved into jog/run/walk and I became stressed if I didn’t get to run I decided to get myself a treadmill at home. That’s been one of my best investments ever! Running on a treadmill is very different to running outside so it took some time getting used to, but it was much easier to have successful runs as I would have water and towels, not to mention a toilet, within seconds. Not having to go outside the door is obviously a huge treat as well, and it has made me run more often.

On the treadmill I alternated between workouts where I jogging at a pace I could stick to, and workouts where I pushed myself as hard as I could and walked until I got my breath back and ran as hard as I could again (intervals I guess). Eventually the pace I could stick to became higher and higher until I was at a steady running pace. I now run 4-6 times a week for 30 minutes or 60 minutes each.

Weight training

To keep my body strong enough to run I do some weight training for about 30 minutes 1-2 times a week. I don’t have a routine I stick to, but I do about 8 exercises with 3-6 sets, 8-15 reps. I also stretch for about 15 minutes after each workout to get a bit more limber as well. Having been a dancer I’ve always been quite flexible so I can do the splits, but my current goal is to squeeze my head in between my legs when standing with straight legs.. The little things in life :D

Eeeeeehh, nearly there.. 2013 it is!

Motivation:

I’m the first to admit I’m the most vain person I know, but even though getting fit was the initial motivation for me it just wasn’t enough to keep me going. Inflicting pain onto myself just to look good won’t work for me. It’s the feeling I get after having ran that keeps me coming back for more. Not that I feel so pleased and full of myself for having ran, but because my mood is significantly higher and I have so much more energy. The endorfins!! <3 Looking better is just a really cool bonus.

The motivation isn’t always there before I go, and that’s when I just have to put my inner naughty devil on mute and JUST DO IT. I tell myself that even if I just do 15 minutes, that’s ok.. as long as I get the training gear on and drag myself on it. Because I’m a huge competitor and my ego is always eager to burn my last personal record I will never stop at 15 minutes anyway.

Important! Never compare yourself to others. There will always be someone that is better, but luckily there will always be someone that is worse too. Compete with yourself and push yourself to the point where you know you’ve done your best. Consistency is key. Power to yourself!!

Eating right

As you know I recently went to see a nutritionist at The Third Space gym in London (which I spent a small fortune on but which has been totally worth it) to run some tests and get advice about how I should eat as I’ve been totally confused about all the low carb, lchf, low fat, low this low that diets. Based on my results I was advised to stay away from gluten, dairy, and food containing high levels of toxins such as aubergine, tomoatoes, potatoes etc. I was also given some supplements to take. I felt great to have a doctor say what my needs are based on my body.

Some of my favourite dishes include rice wraps with chicken and spinach, salads, carrot and sweet potato soup, sashimi, salmon tartare, thai green curry, and avocado chocolate mousse for weekends. When I’m on the go I swear by the raw Nakd bars, the orange and chocolate being my favourites.

I try to eat as raw and unprocessed as possible except for cooked chicken for proteins and a bit of rice now and then. I always swap salad leafs for spinach leafs as it tastes better and is far more nutritious. I keep fruits to a minimum, but I love frozen berries and frozen mango, and I might pop some fruit in to the morning smoothies too. Apples with cinnamon is also a lovely treat! Lastly I don’t consume any other liquids than water and tea, except for the occasional glass of champagne. I reckon there might be a glass or two during the festive season though ;)

And most importantly, I’m not fanatic, if I want a piece of a chocolate cake I will have it – that one piece won’t make a difference as long as you eat right most of the time ;D

I would love to hear your exercise tips as well!! xx

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