Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has become incredibly popular recently. Coconuts are so beneficial to your health and well being. You can drink them, cook with them and use them on your skin and hair! Pure, organic coconut oil is 100% natural, free from chemical additives and bleaching agents. Yay! Proper organic coconut oil comes as a semi white solid and melts into a clear liquid on your skin. Coconut oil costs between £5-£15, depending where you buy it. I use pure virgin coconut oil for various things:

Raw virgin coconut oil

Jar of coconutty goodness!

Hair

Coconut oil deeply nourishes damaged hair, promotes healthy growth, and helps to tame frizz! Depending on how much of your hair you want to oil, take a clump of the white solid and melt it with your hands. Run the oil through your hair, starting at the bottom and working your way up. I have naturally dry hair so I go all the way to my roots. Secure you hair in a bun and leave it on for a couple hours (the longer you leave it the better your hair will look and feel!). I normally put coconut oil in my hair on Sunday afternoons so that I can wash it out that evening. To wash the oil out of your hair, just shampoo and condition as normal. Occasionally, if my hair starts to look dull during the week, I rub a small amount into the very ends of my hair to restore its natural shine and softness!

Starting at the bottom 

Securing it into a top bun

Skin

Although some people freak out at the idea of putting oil on your face to reduce spots and blemishes, coconut oil actually helps to reduce unwanted excess sebum (bad oil). After cleaning my face in the evening, I use it like a moisturiser. Coconut oil improves hydration, firmness and tone of the skin, speeds healing and helps to keep tan longer. It also helps to fights bacteria that cause acne! We highly recommend using it on your body after a good Frank Scrub!


Natalie

xxx

New Years Resolutions

To many of us, New Years means a fresh start. Forgetting the year that's just past (no matter how bad it was) and starting again. Everyone has dreams and aspirations, and on the 1st of January when we wake up to greet the year ahead of us, we feel like those dreams are somehow easier to reach. And they are. What's stopping you? We don't want to fall under the cliché of the whole 'new year, new me' thing because it's our past that makes us who we are. Instead, we have chosen resolutions that will build on our characters instead of completely wiping the slate clean and starting again.

Natalie

Instead of making a list of unreachable goals (e.g travelling around the world, looking like Mimi Elashiry), this year I actually want to achieve some of the goals I set.

• To meditate. This year will no doubt be stressful. So I think taking the time to sit and breath is very important.  
• Save money. This is a big one for me as I like to spend money on pointless things and end up being broke most of the time. 
• To be more spontaneous and care-free. I want to have great accidental adventures, let things happen by chance, serendipity...
• To have an incredible summer, getting as tanned as humanly possible whilst having incredible adventures!

Maya ॐ

Although my past new years resolutions haven't worked out, this year I am setting more realistic goals which I actually stand a chance of achieving. 

• To be more intellectually curious. I don't want to be that person that sits in on a conversation and  has no idea what anyone is talking about.
• To spend money on experiences instead of items. Recently I've been saving money and instead of going shopping and spending on it, I would rather spend it on holidays. 
• To try to learn some Gujarati being half Indian, I have a huge family who all speak Gujarati (except me and my brother) and so over the summer I will try to learn at least some basics. 

Maria

I've never really been big on new years resolutions because they are often unrealistic and I cant keep them up! These are a few things I want to try!

• To try new things: I want to be more adventurous and try new things which will create memories and I will feel accomplished for trying something new and different!
• To use technology less: I want to use my phone, particularly social media, less. Obviously I love my Instagram etc ,but when i'm with friends or family I want to put my phone away and focus more on what i'm doing and the people i'm with.
• To be more "natural": I want to (most of the time) eat clean and healthier foods which will make me feel better and more energetic! Generally I want to use natural and chemical free products, ditch makeup when possible and leave my hair natural (no heat)!

Mimi Elashiry looking perfect as usual

Tan goals

Hope you have a Happy New Year!

X X X 

Frank Body Scrub

Frank Coffee Scrub is an Australian brand and has become pretty popular recently, particularly across social media and I (Maria) decided to order a packet and see if it was worth the hype!It costs £11-£13 (depending on the type you choose) and there is free shipping to the UK!

"Frank" is 100% vegan and free from animal testing. I tried out the Peppermint one as it was a special Christmas edition and the ingredients are...

• Ground coffee beans, sea salt and brown sugar to exfoliate dead skin cells and clarify
• Almond oil, olive oil and peppermint oil to moisturise and tone
• Aloe vera and vitamin e to soothe the skin

Waterproof sealable packet 

mid-scrub

It tells you to apply to damp skin and massage in circular motions all over, then to leave it on for 5-10 minutes which is the point where you have to awkwardly stand around the bathroom covered in minty coffee beans. After 5-10 minutes you rinse of the scrub and your skin is as soft and smooth as a baby's bum! 

I shaved my legs after scrubbing and finished with a light body wash (this is recommended if you have oily skin to remove the excess oil from the scrub). I have quite dehydrated skin at the moment so once I pat my skin dry I put on some Bio-Oil and I was amazed at the results! My skin was so smooth and moisturised and looked so glowy (which is nice in the winter months when tans have faded)! 

glowing skin post-scrub

The Benefits of Frank:

• Targets dry skin, stretch marks, cellulite, eczema, psoriasis, acne and scarring! 
• Can be used on face for spots and scarring (do a test patch to ensure you are not allergic!)
• Safe to use on tattoos
• No parabens, fillers or harsh chemicals

I highly recommend this scrub and think the price is quite reasonable for the amount you get and all the amazing effects! It's so good Maya and Natalie also have ordered some scrubs of their own which I'm sure they'll love as much as I love mine.

X X X

Healthy Dinner - Quinoa, Chicken, Avocado, Tomato

Tonight we wanted to eat something healthy yet easy to make. With the help of Pinterest, we decided to make a chicken, quinoa, avocado and tomato dish. 

The finished dish

1. Heat up a grill pan, and grease the pan with some olive oil.

2. Boil water in a pan for the quinoa, meanwhile rinse the quinoa in cold water and then add when the water is boiling (roughly 1 cup of quinoa to every 1.5 cups of water). 

3. Cut the chicken breasts into thin slices as this will help them cook faster, then add to grill.

4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season with salt, pepper and "all purpose seasoning" (salt, coriander, paprika, onion, celery, garlic, chilli)

5. Leave quinoa and chicken to cook.

6. Cut up avocados and tomatoes (we use roughly one avocado for three of us, and a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes).

7. Serve chicken, quinoa, avocado and tomatoes on a plate, and drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste.

Health Benefits of Quinoa

• Very high in fibre
• Gluten free
• High in protein
• Does not raise blood sugar levels
• High in minerals
• Speeds up metabolism
• Packed with antioxidants

Health Benefits of Avocado

• Healthy fatty acids
• Lowers cholestarol
• Good for your skin- (improves your skin tone, maintains good moisture, reduces redness)
• Antioxidants good for vision

Health Benefits of Tomatoes

• Good for skin
• Good for vision
• Detoxifies the body
• Good stomach health

x x x

Chill Winter Evening

Today we took a long revision "break" and had a lazy evening at Maria's. Heres a little post to show you guys what we do...

After having revised all day for our mock exams, we needed some R&R. To us, this means food, netflix and blankets. So cliche...we know. 

Our set up

Tumbling by the fire

We then decided to make some dinner. We like to eat healthily (not because we feel the need to diet), but because we believe that having a balanced and healthy lifestyle is important, and to be honest the healthier you eat, the better you feel (and look). This does not mean no cake or chocolate ever, it just means everything in moderation. 

Natalie found the cake

Maria picking the tea

With the help of pinterest, we found a healthy meal option which we recreated. See the next post for the recipe...

After dinner we watched various episodes of Gossip Girl while writing our healthy dinner blog post. Then we made some cosmopolitan cocktails and took some polaroid pictures.

Maya and Natalie

Pouring the cosmo

To end our evening, we made a huge bowl of popcorn with freshly melted butter and salt. Then snuggled up on the sofas with blankets and pillows and listened to music while chatting together (as you do at 3 am). 

Home made popcorn

Maya and Maria snuggling

Hope you have been inspired to have you own chill winter evening, and happy new year! 

x x x 

Our summer

We don't know what the weather is like where you are right now, but here in London, it's: 3 degrees, dark and raining so obviously we are all thinking about the summer that we had this year.

The Amalfi Coast, Italy

A friend of ours has a house on the Amalfi Coast which we went to in August '14. Most of the time we were sunbathing on the rocks near the sea and going to local towns like Amalfi and Positano. The rest of the time we spent eating amazing Italian food.

Maya chillin pon rocks

Maya and Maria jumping off rocks 

Maya and Maria in Amalfi

Hornbæk, Denmark

A friend of Maria's has a house in the small beach town of Hornbæk. We cycled to the beach everyday, went shopping in Copenhagen, became addicted to The O.C and played way too much ping pong.

Pizza on the beach at sunset

Maria walking from the beach to our bikes

Maya struggling with her bike

Walking around Copenhagen

Havana, Cuba

While Maya and Maria were jet setting around Europe, I (Natalie) went on a ballet tour to Cuba for a month. I stayed in a hotel on the beach and took a rickety coach every morning to a local ballet school. I visited various amazing beaches including Varedero, so called "the most beautiful beach in the world", and it was...

Natalie at Varadero beach

Natalie watching the sunrise 

Stretching before rehearsal 

Wandering through the streets of Havana with a friend

Warm up before Swan Lake performance

who we are

Welcome to our blog, Serendipity. It means accidental discovery and good things happening by chance. We like to discover new things: places, recipes, music etc... All though none of us are English, we all live in London and our three personalities combined have created this blog.

Natálie Klepáčová - Brno, Czech Republic

Age: 16
Favourite place in the world: Brela, Croatia
Favourite food: macaroons/mangoes
Favourite colour: lilac/baby blue
Man crush: Jon Kortajarena
Favourite animal: wolf/tiger
Favourite film: The Breakfast Club


Maria Nielsen Ozols - Viborg, Denmark

Age:16
Favourite place in the world: Copenhagen, Denmark/Laguna Beach, California
Favourite food: seafood pasta/FRUIT
Favourite colour: ocean blue
Man crush: Keith Powers/Steve Chevrin
Favourite animal: leopard/dolphin
Favourite film: The Parent Trap


Maya Natalie Kendall Shah - Gujarat, India

Age: 16
Favourite place in the world: Koh Samui, Thailand/ Hoi An, Vietnam
Favourite food: mangoes/sandwiches
Favourite colour: emerald/lilac
Man Crush: Steven Chevrin
Favourite animal: elephant/orca
Favourite film: Little Miss Sunshine