Lists Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Miranda van den Heuvel

Summer 2020 – original vacation ideas

Miranda2020-07-03T09:39:47+02:00July 3rd, 2020|

Due to the pandemic situation, we, like many others, had to rethink our holiday plans. We are no longer going to Florida, but have now booked a house with a pool in the Provence. It feels right, safe and doable in these crazy times. Staying closer to home, driving distance seems to be more important now. So I thought I'd provide you with a few original ideas on where to spend your summer this year, should you still be looking... LUXEMBOURG Trail-inn The Trail Inn hotel is in my vill [...]

A Smart Woman’s (or man’s) Guide to the Universe

Miranda2022-06-01T13:23:30+02:00May 15th, 2020|

Have you ever read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It is safe to say that it's one of the funniest science fiction novels ever written. Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space. Trying to balance work, kids, partner, friends, parents and a gazillion other things, our lives on Earth are regularly de [...]

Can money buy happiness?

Miranda2022-06-01T11:04:17+02:00May 8th, 2020|

Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait for school to start? Or summer vacation? Or your birthday? Or Christmas Day? You felt butterflies in your stomach. You couldn't sleep at night. You talked about it all the time. You kept asking your parents how many more nights there were to sleep before it was finally there. All this anticipation is half the fun as they say, although you didn't understand it back then of course! And even as adults, we don't often consider anticipation as half [...]

Miranda’s favorite things – May 2020

Miranda2022-06-02T16:50:30+02:00May 1st, 2020|

I know we've only just had a favorite things post. But one can never have enough favorite things to share, right? AIRBNB's online experiences Airbnb is known as a travel platform that let's you stay in unique places. They already had a sidekick called 'Experiences' where you could book wine tastings or art making sessions with a local. Now that people are no longer able to travel, they have started offering those experiences as online sessions. Cooking pasta with granny, learning tango or [...]

11 awesome videos on the importance of creativity

Miranda2022-06-01T11:07:40+02:00April 24th, 2020|

Ken Robinson on how schools kill creativity: Tim Brown (Ideo) on Creativity and Play Ji Lee: The Transformative Power of Personal Projects How to add some fun to the things you need people to do John Cleese - Creativity in Management Don Norman on how happiness triggers creativity Stuart Brown: Why play is vital -- no matter your age Meet Jen Stark, a young artist who has found a way (by 'accident' or 'chance') to turn cheap paper into art. Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity Daniel Pin [...]

Life is one big improvisation

Miranda2022-06-01T11:12:14+02:00April 10th, 2020|

If you have ever watched improvisational comedy, or have done creative brainstorming, you might know what the 'Yes, and...' principle is. "Yes, and...", also referred to as "Yes, and..." thinking is a rule-of-thumb in improvisational comedy that suggests that a participant should accept what another participant has stated ("yes") and then expand on that line of thinking ("and"). It is also used in business and other organizations as a principle that improves the effectiveness of the brainstormi [...]

Daily ritual during difficult times

Miranda2024-06-15T12:13:30+02:00April 3rd, 2020|

Last week we were talking about creating habits. Today I want to help you create an easy one that will boost your happiness and be less stressed. Sound good? Let's go! Some time ago, I wrote the 'What I love list' which contains little things that make me happy and remind me in busy times to add these into my daily life when I get overwhelmed. At the moment, we live in a different kind of overwhelm and I would like to introduce you to a daily practice that I have that helps me focus on the now [...]

21 days to create a habit. Really?

Miranda2022-06-01T11:24:30+02:00March 27th, 2020|

Today I want to talk about habits. We all have them. Ed Buryn describes them very well: “Routines and habits are the Known, protecting us from the Unknown. Habits are also called home. Habits tame the raw wilderness of existence into the civilized comforts of everyday life. Unfortunately, as we all know, habits gradually domesticate all the wildness and energy out of life. So much energy gets bound up in routines and habituated patterns, keeping them alive, that your life goes dead instead. Thu [...]

Miranda’s favorite things – Spring 2020

Miranda2022-06-02T16:52:31+02:00March 20th, 2020|

It's almost spring! The weather is definitely gorgeous. So it's time for another post on my recently discovered favourite things. I thought I'd keep them all to the online category considering that most of the world is currently in lockdown. Also, if you have any tips that may fall into this category, I'd be happy if you could share them with me via email or in the comments below! Let's share our favorites! ART CLASSES Flora Bowley introduced me to intuitive painting. And it changed my art [...]

A comfortable margin

Miranda2022-06-01T11:25:49+02:00March 13th, 2020|

My friends say that I am well organised. That I like to plan ahead - way ahead! They also call me punctual. I call that 'having a comfortable margin'. I don't like stress (who does?). So I plan. I ask myself: what do I need to do or put in place so I don't get stressed? Leave 10 minutes earlier for example. Sometimes that gets me to my appointment 10 minutes earlier (which allows me to have a coffee or revise the topic of my meeting), sometimes traffic is bad or something else happens and I'm j [...]