Secret Santa Struggles.

What's up guys?

So as Christmas is starting to peek around the corner, my family decided it was time to start our own secret Santa quests again. Yayyy..... This year, like many other years I pulled my youngest sisters name from the hat. It's only the third year I pulled her name from the hat.... No changing the structure for me again. 

Anyway, when we do secret Santa we write down some things we would like to get, with our name. Now normally I don't have a lot of struggles with the secret Santa shopping. I do put a lot of effort in writing a poem, another family tradition we added, and the wrapping. For me it's all about the wrapping. Don't confuse that with rapping as I do not have any rapping skills what so ever. It's all about the WRAPPING. The wrapping paper was the easiest part this year, and don't worry, I will include a picture of the wrapped  secret Santa package. 

Back to shopping. Mind you, my youngest sister just turned 14 in October and is now in full on difficult teenager mode. This also means she's starting to get into a lot of that teenage girl stuff, teenage girls are into. Personally, I skipped most of this phase and never got further than putting on some mascara and occasionally having a cheeky photo shoot with a friend using my mums camera which I borrowed without her permission. Things like front cameras and selfies weren't really a thing back than, sorry for the culture shock. Anyway back to my sisters present list. Most of the stuff she put on there was pretty easy, she wanted a necklace, fairy lights, and a new charger for her phone. This was the easy part, now let me tell you where I started struggling with her list. It was at the point where I read: make-up brushes. Now as I mentioned before all the make-up I know, and use, is mascara for which you don't necessarily need a separate brush. My little sister however is all over the make-up and is actually quite good with it all too. Too bad for her I had to do the shopping. 

The budget didn't really allow a complete set so I had to prioritise now. So I walked into the pharmacy, walked towards the place they put the make-up brushes, thinking I would get this job finished rather easily. However when the make-up brushes caught my eye  there was an entire isle filled with them. All the different brands, sizes and sorts made me feel dizzy and lose hope slightly. As a 20 year old, I didn't feel like asking an employee just in case it's stupid for 20-year-olds to know nothing about make-up and the necessary tools. So I did the next best thing and asked a 12 year old with all the courage I had gathered and traded for my dignity. Thankfully she was very kind and ended up lecturing me on make-up brushes for at least 15 minutes. Her information was very useful if not mind blowing. The complexity of make-up brushes really blew me away. But I succeeded!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!

So yeah, that happened. Now all I can do is sit and wait until Christmas. Then my sister will open the presents and I will know if I choose the right make-up brushes. Or not.... So that 12 year old either saved my Secret Santa or ruined it completely, anyway I learned a hell of a lot about make-up and make-up brushes. Some valuable knowledge I've gained due to Santa. Fingers crossed!

Please let me know how you celebrate Christmas, or whether you celebrate something completely different in the comments!! Lets talk about Christmas!

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96

(The end result)

Diabetes vs. Christmas.

Hey there!

In a blog I published a little while ago I told you I am diabetic. Well I have diabetes, my diabetes doesn't define me as a person it's just something that is a (pretty big) part of my life. Now I don't want to spend a lot of time on my diabetes on this blog as it is not what I have started this blog for. However, since it is such a big part of my life, why not share my opinions, experiences and some of my personal tips and tricks with the world. 

Before we continue let me just drop some facts about Type 1 Diabetes Melitus. 
- Type 1 diabetes is the less common type of diabetes, 1 out of 10 people with diabetes has type 1 diabetes. 
- When you have type 1 diabetes you are completely insulin-dependent, your pancreas doesn't make any more insulin for you.
- You can get type 1 diabetes due to your own immune system destroying your pancreas but it's also a genetic disease. 
- When you have type 1 diabetes you need to either inject insulin for the rest of your life or use an insulin pump to satisfy your insulin needs. 
- As a type 1 diabetic you can't just eat whatever you like.

There you go, just a couple of facts about type 1 diabetes. You will find more information about Diabetes (type 1 and 2) on websites such as www.endocrine.com, www.diabetes.org and for the Dutch diabetics out there: www.dvn.nl and www.sugarkids.nl.

Now all that is done we can continue on with the real purpose of this blog. When you have diabetes, no matter what type, holidays like Christmas where a lot of food and irregular eating is involved are always a struggle. This Christmas is my fourth Christmas as a diabetic and so far I haven't found the golden trick to keeping my sugar levels on a decent level throughout Christmas. As I mentioned before, Diabetes and food relate to each other really closely. Us diabetics have a lack of the hormone insulin, the hormone that handles the glucose in your body. During Christmas the consumption of lots of sweets, Christmas dinner and other foods that contain high levels of glucose are everyday business. 
Just as any other a diabetic loves to join in the Christmas madness and consume a lot of chocolates or candy canes or eat way too much during the family dinner. This however is where the struggle starts. The other part is the length of the family dinner and when and how many glucose you will eat during this dinner.
Will you drink alcohol or a hot chocolate? Will you go crazy on the dessert?  How much time will pass between courses? Will the alarm of my insulin pump go off telling me it needs to be replaced? Will I go to a quiet place to inject my insulin? Is there enough space on the table for me to put my sugar level checking device or do I need to put it on my lap or somewhere else completely?

These are some of the questions I (used to) ask myself during Christmas dinner. I found an answer for some of them. Personally I'm not an alcohol drinker and during things like Christmas dinner I tend to drink (sparkling) water, sugar free lemonade or tea. When it comes to the amount of glucose I eat during Christmas dinner I usually check out the courses before the dinner starts. This to estimate the amount of glucose every course holds and to see if it's really crucial to inject insulin for like the soup or if I'm going to wait with injecting the insulin until the main course comes on. When it comes to dessert well lets say I'm not the greatest example of keeping the amounts of consumed glucose low. 

During my first Christmas dinner as a diabetic I got asked a lot of questions. Nowadays I'm still asked questions as siblings and cousins get girlfriends/boyfriends who barely know anything about it or are just curious as to why I handle my diabetes a certain way or how I deal with my diabetes during times like Christmas. For me the best way to deal with these  questions is to take a few breaths and realise not everyone is a walking diabetes encyclopaedia and then answer all their questions honestly. When it comes to my diabetes I'm pretty much an open book. I have learned that this works better than keeping it a secret because talking about it and informing others on your state of health allows them to help you when needed. 

As for my sugar levels. I don't think there's one golden secret to keeping your sugar levels under control. Give yourself time to count the amount of glucose you have eaten/ are going to eat and to calculate the amount of insulin you need. Don't wait too long with giving yourself the insulin as this will only result in high sugar levels. On that note however don't give yourself all the insulin before you've eaten the glucose holding meals as this will result in low sugar levels which make you want to eat more and end in high sugar levels. (trust me I know). 

All I'm left with is wishing you all a very merry Christmas! I hope you have a good one (all of you)! For all the people with diabetes out there or relatives of someone suffering from diabetes, I hope the information I've given you is of use. If you have some tips and/or tricks of your own don't be shy and please share them in the comments below. Together we can help one another in keeping our blood sugar levels stable.

I wish you all the best!
ThatDutchGirl96

(source: www.facebook.com/jongmetdiabetes)

Things that make me happy in December.

Hey there!

In life there are a lot of things that make me happy, some are pretty unique others are so ordinary you might not even notice them any more. Yet any of these things can make a smile appear on my face if I only pay enough attention to them. Let me share some of these things with you guys!

Renée from the past

 
   Blue skies, snow, thunderstorms, warm pyjamas, Christmas trees,        marshmallows, tea, snowmen, holidays, Christmas, food, fairy            lights, ice skating, books, sunshine, duvets, Harry Potter marathons,    Christmas movies, stockings, advent calendars, (Christmas) music        and New Years Eve.

   Those are just a few of the things I love about December. 
   There is more: stars, family, friends, sweaters, fuzzy socks, scented candles, lit fireplaces, romantic comedies, the end of another year, rain, snow angles, Doctor Who Christmas special, warm showers, hot chocolates, Christmas decoration, secret Santa, baubles, presents, fireworks, champagne, chocolate, wearing my onesie, tinsel, having days off, sledding, streets covered in Christmas lights, December / Christmas themed drinks, Christmas snacks.

As you have read by now there are many things that make me happy in December. Which makes a lot of sense as December is a month in which a lot happens and a lot happens around the things that happen.
Let me continue a bit more: Christmas smells, vlogmas, snowball fights, gloves and scarves, earmuffs, the world looking like a Christmas card, my sisters birthday, forgetting my diabetes (not so good for my health but sometimes you have to give in to all the sugary goods in your life), the beginning of a new year, looking back at an awesome year with a lot of amazing memories and the chance to start again or to continue where you left off.

2015 has been really really good to me, I absolutely loved this year with its downs and big amount of ups. 2016 has a lot to live up to but I'm sure it will live up to my expectations and turn out to be even better than 2015. How I'm going to do that, I'm not quite sure, all I know is that 2015 will end in a very special place and 2016 is going to start in the most magical place on earth. So yeah that's probably what I'm most excited for from all of December. (There will be a blog about that later though so get yourselves ready)

What things make you happy in December? Or maybe some really amazing things are happening this specific December that should be in your "things that make me happy in December" list. I want to know more about those things and I can't wait to hear about them!

Anyways, I wish you the best of luck this December and I hope you make it a remarkable one!
Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96

Happy Holidays!!!

Hello you lovely people,

That time of the year is finally here. It's the holiday season and Christmas has taken over most of this planet. Whether you live in a country where it's hugely celebrated or not, Christmas is everywhere. A festive storm has passed all over this tiny planet and left a trace of Christmas trees, baubles, tinsel, mulled wine, stuffed turkeys and what not?! 

Tonight is Christmas eve, tomorrow Christmas day and within a few weeks most of the festivities the storm left will be put back in boxes up the attic, or for the tree and the turkey been burnt or eaten. A short period of time in which we all become a bit nicer and more giving. Even though the weather isn't ideal and the cold is horrible and calls for immediate hot chocolate we still love this time of the year. God knows why? 

In Holland Christmas isn't a very big thing yet most of us do celebrate it. I love Christmas and the whole holiday season. Where people mostly care about themselves, around Christmas they seem not to for a little while. Friends and family become more important then ever and the world just seems a little less dark. 

So I just want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and if you don't celebrate Christmas I hope you have a wonderful holiday!! 2014 is slowly coming to an end. 2015 is only a week away!!!!!!!! For me 2014 has been an amazing year and I am so ready to see what 2015 has to offer. This year hasn't been the easiest for me and for a too big amount of people in the world. If 2014 has been rough on you just know that I already am incredibly proud of you surviving up on to this point!!! You have pretty much survived the whole of 2014, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes, 31536000 seconds and how amazing is that. 

To everyone out there right now I hope you have the most wonderful holiday season ever and enjoy every minute of it! 

I love you all! Have a wonderful time!

Lots of love, ThatDutchGirl96

Hello December.

Hello!

It is finally here! The most magical, sometimes beautiful, cold, christmassy and the last month of the year 2014. Time for more hot chocolates, more wearing onesies, Christmas trees, fairy lights, presents under the tree, fireworks,  singing Christmas songs, eating lot's and lot's of food, ice skating and hopefully a nice layer of snow. 

December, a month that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside at the mere sound of it's name. The last month before a year comes to an end and the last month before a new year can kick off. Yet there are 27 days left before the new year comes peaking around the corner. December. Yes. My magical month.

First of all, the most important part of December, CHRISTMAS! In about 21 days it is finally there. Almost a year has passed since last Christmas and that's long enough if you ask me. For a Dutchy I'm pretty enthusiast about Christmas. For us Christmas is not really about presents and Santa Claus and all that stuff. 
We have our own version of that called "Sinterklaas" also known as "Saint Nicholas". It's pretty much the exact same as Santa Claus apart from the celebration date as Sinterklaas is celebrated on December fifth.
Personally I prefer Christmas, just the whole atmosphere around it. The smells, the Christmas trees, the decorations, the fairy lights, the great times with family and friends, the sweaters and the socks and the fire lighting up in fireplaces. 
Since November first I have been ready for Christmas and now December has finally started my excitement can barely be contained. I was born ready for Christmas.

Second, snow. That rare form of solid fluids, falling from the skies in countless formations all with the same structure yet all in different forms. Some touch the ground and turn back into water immediately where others stay there for a while and make the surface go white. Despite all the struggles that come along with snow like trains being unable to take thousands of people to all the different places it still is a marvellous natural event. Last year no snow fell in Holland and there wasn't even a sign of winter around. It was weirdly warm which made winter feel very uncomfortable which nobody really cared about. Hopefully we will have more luck this time. And if not long live the unnatural ice skating rinks. 

December bring it on, I am ready for you and I am ready for everything that has yet to come after you. This year has been an amazing year and I am happy to be alive. This will be a December to remember.

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96