Ajda Sitar /

I wanted to spoil my closest 5 girls for the best support they gave me. My sister Alja (who was my maid of honor), Tesa, Gala, Aida, and Ajda really did their best jobs even before the wedding. They were the most beautiful (literally!) and the best company on my wedding day, that’s why I knew I had to pamper them properly even before the big day – with a special pre-wedding beauty party. Viki’s Bar was perfect for it-a cozy atmosphere in the heart of Ljubljana and just the right offer to enhance our weddings looks.

Cocktails, desserts and beauty treats

On the Thursday before the wedding my girls and I met at Viki’s bar, where they arranged manicure for all with Shellac, which I’ve been a fan of for years, eyebrows using the Anastasia Beverly Hills method (I only trust my eyebrows to Viki as she really does her job perfectly) and above all arranged a great time filled with laughter, chatting and goodwill. Having a good time with the girls was particularly great for me to stop thinking about “is everything going to be ok, do we have everything and what if I forget something” fears and really just enjoy the evening.

In the end, Viki made me visit the magical Bahamas for a few minutes so that I was able to enjoy a naturally tan complexion on Saturday. Well, it looked natural, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see Bahamas, so Viki made sure to help me with the Vita Liberata’s spray tan – so I looked as close as if I really came from a three-week vacation in the Caribbean. If the spray tan is something you are interested in, make sure to check out my blog post or the highlight tab on my Instagram profile @ajdasitar. Again, she did a great job and I was really ready for the wedding weekend on Friday morning (when I washed the tan color from my skin).

A quick tip for all brides-to-be: do pamper yourself before the wedding, but make sure you try all the services beforehand. Wedding time is not time to experiment, but still trust the professionals who will make sure you have everything you need on the big day.

Shellac manicure (if handled by someone who knows it’s job) is an ideal solution for any bride, as it ensures that the nail polish is not stained and the manicure lasts not only on the wedding day but also until the end of the honeymoon (if you travel right after the wedding). Beautiful and well-groomed eyebrows are the best foundation for a good makeup, and the same goes for quality facial care. I went for the Aquapeel Innofacial skin treatment at Viki’s Place twice before the marriage, which made my skin moisturized, shiny and really clean. So treat yourself with something extra – for your body and soul!

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Ajda Sitar /

Today’s post is sort of a diary that includes everything significant that happened to me from the moment I found out I was pregnant to the end of the first trimester, from week 3 to week 13 of my pregnancy.

Positive Pregnancy Test: 3 Weeks and 3 Days

I took a pregnancy test pretty early on, not because I was curious or anything, but because of my medications. The second line, indicating pregnancy, was fairly visible I wasn’t even sure if it’s there or is something wrong with my vision. Very un-romantically, totally different than in any of the romantic movies or the perfect YouTube videos out there, I took a picture and sent it to Jan. He wasn’t sure either. That day I took my medication and repeated the test the next day. Guess what the test showed the next day. Two very clear lines!

Pregnant at The Wedding and on The Honeymoon?

To answer the most obvious nosy question there is: No, I wasn’t pregnant at the wedding. The date of the last menstrual cycle, which is what the doctors look at, was right before our wedding. So “technically” I was pregnant on my wedding, but the conception took place after we wed. However when we were on our honeymoon in the Seychelles, there was already a small creature safe and sound in my womb.

Hello Seychelles, Hello Morning Sickness.

Seychelles turned out to be the ideal location because of the high hygiene standards, no need for any additional vaccination, there’s no malaria or Zika. I consulted my gynecologist prior traveling and she advised me to make sure I stay hydrated and not to eat raw vegetables. She assured me that it’s safe to travel at this stage of the pregnancy. In the first week of our honeymoon and the fifth week of my pregnancy I experienced my first morning sickness, which turned out to not be “morning” at all. It was the strongest in the afternoons, evenings and nights. The worst week was the week we travelled back home. I was sick every day all up until the 12th week and then it slowly faded away in the 13th.

Other symptoms, feelings, moods and all other TMI’s

I was feeling pretty good on the Seychelles, other than feeling sick, which I was rather unsuccessfully trying to mild down with lemon water and ginger-ale. I was craving The Istrian Stew (Jota) the most! The first stop after the airport was my parents house. I could never imagine how strong can a food craving get before I got pregnant. Any strong seasoning fragrances bother me even today, so the Seychelles curry infused kitchen didn’t get a fair chance to impress me. Feeling malaise, sick and fatigue reached its peak in November, in December I was starting to feel better. Bloatedness started on the honeymoon already and faded away at the end of the first trimester. My breasts were extremely sensitive the whole time of the first trimester and they got bigger for a whole cup size. I enjoyed salty foods the most. If I eat too much sweets I get easily sick even today. From the beginning of pregnancy I fancy all kinds of soups and stews, salads, orange Cedevita drink, bread with sour cream, cheese and pickles the most. Cliché, I know.

Folic Acid and other supplements

I choose supplements with great caution, yet I know I need them for a healthy and a quality life. Any supplement that I take are chosen based on a thorough research, blood tests and doctor consultations. I was mindful of the right form and measurement of the vitamin C and D, Omega 3 fatty Acids, magnesium, and Folic Acid prior to the conception. The later I started taking 6 months before getting pregnant since it plays a vital role in the development of the baby’s nervous system, brain and spinal cord. I started taking Prenatal capsules by the brand Novalac and I stick to them even today and I intend to do so until for the whole breastfeeding period. Although it is commonly known that you should take Prenatal capsules only the first 3 months of pregnancy, taking them longer has various positive effects. I tried a few different brands, but they made my morning sickness worse. Novalac Prenatal however serves me well, it has an active form of Folic acid which is very important. Plus it has highly-absorptive Iron, DHA and many other vitamins and minerals added (for more info click here).

The First Check-up and The Nuchal Scan (NT)

The first medical check-up was in the 9th week of pregnancy and waiting for it seemed like forever! They took a lot of blood for testing and the most important part – I saw my baby for the first time! On the second check-up, the Nuchal translucency scan with dr. Lomšek at the ZC Dravlje, Jan joined me. Our little being was very active and the results of the scan were excellent.

NIPT: Nifty Plus test

Jan and I decided to do the NIPT test as well. We chose the Nifty test, which is the leading non-invasive pre-birth test. It is completely safe, non-invasive and really simple blood test. It reveals any potential risks and predict the chance of many genetic conditions from the 10th week of pregnancy forward, took it in the week 13. I was really happy to get a call from the doctor, saying everything looks great (later followed by a mail to our home address), it is reassuring when you know there is a “low risk” for any of the most common trisomy (Down, Edward and Patau syndrome) as well as trisomy 9. 16 and 22, aneuploidy of the sex chromosomes or other genetic imperfections. We took the premium Nifty Plus package (590€), which gave us an additinal sense of safety and reassured us that our little being is doing great, being free of many genetic conditions. For the cherry on top, we found out the sex of our baby! We have no regrets whatsoever, it was definetly one of the best decisions in my first trimester, since we can now look around for the cute baby stuff worry-free.

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Ajda Sitar /

Ajda Sitar Žumer noseča

I guess we cannot keep it a secret for much longer – we are expecting a baby in June 2020, meaning this is the last Christmas for just the two of us!

Happy 2020!

Ajda Sitar /

From fashion classics, like knits, caps, scafs and socks (found all these lovely items at Tom Tailor, where you can also get a charming gift box to gift them in) to beauty bits (such as two Christmas sets of Afrodita Cosmetics, a divine perfume YSL Libre or an innovative sonic facial brush Eggo), and a 2020 planner (my this year’s favorite is from Lepa Afna) or homemade cookies – these are my this year’s Christmas gift ideas in photos!

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Ajda Sitar /

Sejšeli poročno potovanje

If you, in this moment, close your eyes and try to envision the most iconic honeymoon destinations there are, I am confident that Seychelles with their white sandy beaches, iconic granite stones and the green tropical surroundings, will be one of them. They are known for their luxurious location, consequently one of the richest country in Africa turism can offer. Even though it is a great tourist attraction, the beaches remain from getting too crowded, which is it’s virtue that, of course, comes with its cost. In this blog I present you our findings, explorations and the plan of our honeymoon trip, organized by the help of Nomago Travel.

You haven’t booked your honeymoon trip yet?

Read my blog post “Where to for The Honeymoon?”. It just might help you decide where to go. You can also check “The Online Honeymoon Catalog”, which contains and concisely presents some of the most beautiful destinations.

We had high expectation of Seychelles, it was of our Honeymoon after all. They ceased to disappoint. The beginning of the trip had a sour note, since it was raining a bit, but since we were accompanied by the sun and the sea at all times, the rain didn’t stop us from finding some dreamy beaches. In two weeks time we visited 4 different islands. Three very popular ones (Mahe, Praslin and La Digue) and a little, private island called Desroches. Most of the time we were completely alone at the beach. We didn’t even take our phones with us, which is unfortunately the reason this post lacks a few photos, but I did however take more “mental” photos because of that. The islands weren’t exciting just because of the paradise like beaches but also because of the hospitality and the environment awareness of the extremely open and kind habitants of the islands.

Where are the Seychelles?

The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, located 1.600 km east of Kenya, Africa and north-east from The Madagascar island. In the past the area was inhabited by the Arabian seafarers, after them came the British colonists and later on the French. The first European man to set foot on the islands was no one else but the famous explorer Vasco da Gama, who first sailed there in the year of 1502. They are a great cultural mix, which is what makes them so interesting.

Main islands of Seychelles Sejšelov:

Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette, Frigate, North Island

Language:

officially English and French (some locals speak Creole)

Time zone:

UTC+4

Currency:

Seychelles rupee (15 SCR = 1 EUR)

The Weather of The Seychelles:

Jan and I have visited many areas of the world and we can say that nothing beats the lush greens of the Seychelles. The air of the islands is moist and humid. It rains quite frequently, mostly in the months between November and February. The temperatures yearly-range around 27-30°C. It practically never falls under 24°C.

When to visit Seychelles?

According to the weather the Seychelles are most suitable to visit from May to October (the hotels are then fully booked and the price gets quite high). You can expect lots of rain between November and March. Rain aside they are appropriate to visit all year long since the temperatures are always constant.

How to get to Seychelles?

The most likely arrival is at The Victoria – Seychelles Airport, which is approximately 8 km away from the Victoria capital city. Nomago Travel helped us find the most ideal flight. We flew from Ljubljana via Istanbul and then directly to Seychelles. The whole journey was no longer than 13 – 15 hours.

How to get around the Seychelles

For the exploration of The Mahe and Praslin islands we chose rent-a-car with which we could easily get around across the islands. The rent it self was quite expensive (40-45 €/day). The other options were taxi (very expensive), bus (cheap alternative, but less flexible – 5 SCR), bike (which we took at the La Digue Island) and by foot. We cycled across La Digue and The Desroches islands (where the Four Seasons hotel guests get choferes around with golf carts). To get from Mahe to Praslin there are two options – a short flight with Air Seychelles or a ride with a high speed Cat Cocos boat (surprisingly enough the price is almost the same). You can also get to La Digue island with the boat, to get to the island of Desroches however you do need a plane ticket – it is the most distant of all.

How to organize your time and choose locations?

It all depends on your holiday preferences and desires. We chose an exuberant travel plan, which consisted of 3 nights on the island of Mahe, 6 nights on the island of Praslin, 2 nights on the island La Digue and 3 nights on the Desroches island. We wanted a great combination and balance between enjoying the beaches and exploration of the destinations. Many people chose to visit the combination of the popular islands, other chose only one where they spend the whole vacation enjoying under the same palm tree.

The Seychelles Hotels

When booking we had in mind the fact that Seychelles are a luxury destination. The prices are high accordingly. The average price for one night for two people equals to 120€, for a 5 star hotel you can expect to spare a thousand per night. There aren’t a lot of hotels and apartments and they are mostly booked, especially during high season. Keep in mind that you also pay for the luxury of wonderful sandy beaches, where you sometimes don’t spot another soul. Prices can therefore be high, depending on the chosen accommodation. For 350€ you can get a pretty luxurious holiday across the globe, but on Seychelles it’s only a great accommodation, not something you would rate “superior”. We recommend 2 accommodations we assure you won’t go wrong. These are Vila Coconut Climb on the Mahe island and the luxury 5* resort Four Seasons Seychelles Desroches.

The Seychelles Cuisine

Creole food is the local cuisine and it’s a sort of a mixture between African, British, French and Indian cuisine. The most of the menus consist of curry, rice, fish and a lot of spices and seasoning. For my taste there is a lack of variety, but the additional classical “european” restaurants provided what was missing. The average cost for a meal in a restaurant is between 20-40 €, the cheapest option is take-away, which sums up to 4-7 €. I consider myself a great gourmand and I have to say that the food on the Seychelles let me down (it honestly can’t compare to Mexican or Thai food, it lacks variety). I was however delighted with the luxury hotel service of the Four Seasons Hotel on the island of Desroches.

I would definitely recommend Seychelles as an ideal destination for two, whether it is for your honeymoon, anniversary or just a luxury vacations where you can dip your fingers and toes in the white sand, nap under a palm tree, explore the sea world or the green tropical areas of the Seychelles Islands.

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