Barception

@Gabi Amaral - any time i sit down to watch a ‘dad-show’, the little one site beside me on the sofa or in the comfy chair and says that she wants to watch one of her movies….. 

she has me wrapped around her little finger

@john.desborough awww!! Just think, when she’s a teen, she may want nothing to do with you, so cherish all the children’s movies HA! 

@Gabi Amaral Good over here! I didn’t get COVID round 3 from NYE, so that was a great start to the new year.  I’m still fully mapping out my first half of the year goals and working on them, but so far so good! How is the fitness coming over there? (Also, now I want a personal trainer!)

Ciao guys, long time no speakey! Hope everyone’s well, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep 

My first weekend of 2022 was beautifully chill. I went for a handful of walks, went swimming, started and finished a book. Really lovely. It’s good that I got this slow start because things became super busy super quickly 

You’re all so inspirational! Getting personal trainers and mapping your goals for a full half a year ahead. Genuinely impressive. I have a bunch of thins I’d like to focus on in 2022 but I’m tentative to call them ‘resolutions’. I would like to learn some Italian, I would like to read more, I would like to look into intermittent fasting. The overarching theme is to keep learning about my authentic self and staying connected with that self. Haha. how very deep, amirite? 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Oooh @Michaela! Love your "goals"! If you need some help with Italian, let me know! We can have virtual coffees and only speak in Italian. Btw, this is one of my resolutions: become fluent in Italian! I've been watching a lot of series and movies in Italian because it's super helpful! I'm also planning on read some Elena's Ferrante books that I already read but now in Italian! 

@Liz I got back on track this week! Yaay! Went to the gym today and will have some cycling classes! It's hard though...I keep wanting to eat junk food! Hahaha 

@Paulo - that is awesome sir.. i hope the battery is recharged and that your ladies put you to good use around the house.. lol. 

glad to have you back!

Hahah @Gabi Amaral you bet I need help with Italian (and how very very kind of you to offer to chat, thank you so much!). The thing is I am a total beginner so you would be super bored conversing with me 

@Liz I literally started watching the new season of Queer Eye yesterday and she is a fierce one. I didn’t think I could be any more in love with JVN but it turns out that I certainly can 
 

@john.desborough Not a doubt about it! I spent my offline time doing all kind of DIY project around the house, more than I intended to...

@Gabi Amaral I was hoping for a book full of funny stories, but it turned out the book is really, really deep and I'm enjoying it so far.

I'm doing weight training for hypertrophy 4 times a week and some cardio to increase my basal metabolism. It's been a while since I've exercised, so I'm enjoying having more endorphins flowing through my brain.

@Gabi Amaral - lol.. on the exercise thing … sorry it almost made me snort my coffee through my nose. 

exercise has been keeping what’s left of my sanity intact. 

with my wife working from home and a large part of the last year and a half of kindergarten for the little one, it has been imperative to get in daily workouts to keep my sanity. I have a Bowflex machine in my office at home (the spare bedroom) and a bicycle on a trainer in another room in the basement. 

Having both of those in the house and within easy access has let me get in a nice quiet bike ride in the morning before starting to make breakfast for the ladies and then i spend an hour on the machine (i have blocked out 4-5 pm every day for a workout) - this helps me make the break from ‘work’ and home lives. 

i have been lucky enough that i have gone ‘the other way’ during the last two years and dropped about 10kg of “too much travel and poor eating” 

I also drag the ladies outside every day for a walk, some sledding in winter, some snowshoeing etc. 

my DIY project is to work on my humanity … and it is a work in progress.. 

@Paulo - the bowflex is the best fitness investment i have made. I agree on getting to the gym being a pain and i like to work out on my own.. not have to wait for someone else to get off the machine that is next in my rotation. at home i can be the curmudgeon! 

@john.desborough I totally agree with you, waiting to use the machines is the worst. It messes up all the resting timing and intensity of the workout. I'd love to be the curmudgeon! lol

@Liz Disconnecting was awkward for the first few days, but I started to feel more relaxed each day. Unfortunately the girls had all kind of excuses to be connected (predictable ), but even they managed to reduce their overall screen time.

@Gabi Amaral If you’re new to skin care and have no skin issues bothering you, I would suggest starting with the basics. Cleansing + moisturizer + sunscreen every morning. Cleansing + moisturizer every night. Exfoliate once a week and you should be good.

@Paulo You should definitely create a blog with video tutorials! Hahaha From diy things to skin care routine! Hahaha I have some friends that recommend a South Korean brand called Cosrx! That's it's not expensive and it's good! Do you have any specific brands you use? 

@john.desborough Woow..I'd love to complete this quiz but everything is in Dutch! Hahaha What about you, Des? Do you have a skin care routine as well? Hahaha. 

@Gabi Amaral I wish I had the time to keep a blog! It would be a mess because I tend to like pretty random things!

As for skin care products, I'm a fan of Korean brands. From Korea, Cosrx and Jumiso are my choices for everyday basics, but but when it comes to active ingredients or acids I use a Canadian brand named The Ordinary.

@john.desborough The old-fashioned shaving soap cake that smells like medicine and has been around for 100 years is it by any chance from Proraso? That’s what I use to shave, and although there’s tons of shaving foam in the market I can't help but use a good old fashioned shaving soap.lol